


We Will See the Sunrise

by I_write_fanfiction_not_tragedies (Jas_mint)



Series: After the Night [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: (chapter 13 if you want to skip), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Established Relationship, Fixing the time paradox Skyward Sword created that no one talks about, Gemplay, Hurt/Comfort, Hyrule Historia Manga/Era of the Goddess, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Skyward Sword, Smut, Sword Spirits - Freeform, Worldbuilding, edit: Rating Will Not Change, link dual wields Ghirahim and Fi, master/sword au, no Original Characters, sorry if you're here from the first book it's a little different, uses a blend of the Breath of the Wild and Skyward Sword map
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:22:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 64,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25717237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jas_mint/pseuds/I_write_fanfiction_not_tragedies
Summary: Link's journey may be over, but that doesn't mean any of his questions have been answered. As tensions rise between friends, a mysterious uncharted land in the middle of their world calls to him, promising to reveal the secrets Hylia meant to keep hidden. Influenced by the darker power he carries with him, Link finds himself questioning if fate really overshadows free will.(this can be read as a stand alone work)
Relationships: Ghirahim/Link (Legend of Zelda)
Series: After the Night [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1865206
Comments: 85
Kudos: 84





	1. Not What You Signed Up For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After becoming the sword's master, Link struggles to tell Zelda he saved Ghirahim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strap in kiddos we're dealing with ~trauma~
> 
> As said, this is post Skyward Sword and works on its own not related to the first in this fic series, though it would be helpful to read the prequel manga (which you can find for free online at [Zelda Dungeon ](https://www.zeldadungeon.net/read-the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-manga-from-hyrule-historia-right-now/))

It had been three months since he defeated Demise. Three hours since he left Groose and Zelda in the Sealed Grounds, just wanting fresh air. Three minutes since he walked out of Skyview Temple holding the sword that almost killed him, now bonded to a temperamental demon, one that he had just promised to bind himself to for the rest of his life. Three seconds since he last kissed him.

To say he was slightly overwhelmed was an understatement.

Link adjusted his grip on the sword. It felt natural in his palm, the raised diamond pattern of the hilt providing enough grip that it didn't slide. Though the blade was longer than the training sword he carried on his back, it felt better balanced, more so an extension of his arm than a tool. The black metal reflected the sunlight, a red tint revealed in the glow. It was almost like holding the Master Sword again. The uncanny similarities unnerved him.

The blade felt _too_ natural. Link had to remind himself it was still a weapon, still as dangerous as it had been in the hands of his enemy. The crossguard may have shrunk, the edges smoothed out, and the bloodstained gem holding it together covered once again by a silver coating, but this was still _Ghirahim_ , still Demise's creation. In the heat of reuniting with the demon, Link had forgotten the destruction this blade had caused.

A cold hand on his shoulder snapped him from his thoughts.

"You seem anxious. Are you still concerned about your friends' reactions?"

Link only nodded at Ghirahim's question. He kept running over the argument in his head, how becoming the blade's master was the only way to control the spirit within, but even he felt his excuses were weak. Zelda had no reason to believe the demon was still alive, much less now under Link's control. She had every right to mistrust him, Link had never found a way to tell her the sword had supposedly changed. He trusted Fi's judgement when she told him Ghirahim was no longer a threat, but she hadn't been one hundred percent positive, there was still a chance Link had made a grave mistake. He had fostered doubt in the three months since he last saw the demon, he could only imagine what thousands of years of waiting could do to a person. . .

There was only one way to go forward from here. Link wouldn't hide the sword, it would be better to tell his friends than have them find out he was keeping secrets. If they didn't believe him, he wouldn't blame them. They didn't have to trust the demon. Link hoped they would at least trust _him_.

He was still the chosen hero. He had proven himself in battle more times than he could count, half of which were against the same sword he now carried. If there was anyone in this time that should be responsible for such a task, it was him. Zelda may not understand why he wanted to undertake this burden, but she could at least understand that he was capable of doing so.

Taking a deep breath, Link came to a stop. They were about to enter the Sealed Grounds.

"I think you should go away now." Avoiding looking Ghirahim in the eye, Link gestured to the sword. "It'll be easier to explain if... they don't see you first. After everything that happened they've been attack first, questions later. We're all still on edge."

Link vaguely understood that Ghirahim couldn't deny a direct order, but he wasn't sure what counted. Fi had never questioned his requests, even his more foolish ones, but he knew the demon wouldn't take kindly to being ordered about. It was only a matter of time before he argued with him, and Link silently pleaded that Ghirahim would just do as he said.

Ghirahim made no complaints. Slipping into the sword, the chime that emitted from the blade was so different, yet so familiar, that Link had to blink back a memory. The sound was what he heard before every teleportation, each disappearance followed by a scatter of diamonds, a warning of danger to come. And yet, in this context, it was the same as Fi returning to her blade. He could feel the light enter the sword, the spirit filling the new vessel. The blade felt alive now, humming with energy that made him feel invincible. The Master Sword never did that.

The power scared him. It was the culmination of years of hatred and anger, resentment and regret coursing from the sword, bottled up feelings that were left to fester in darkness for centuries. It was almost as if he could feel the black energy seeping from the blade into his hand, creeping up his arm, worming its way into his heart and forcing him to—

All of a sudden, it cut off. Link's mind was clear once more, clouded thoughts gone.

_Well? Are you going to confront your goddess, or are you going to stand there like a lost child?_

He shuddered at the voice filling his mind. Fi would sometimes use this ability, but it had always been in high stakes situations. Link didn't have time to stop and think about the pressing entity on his consciousness, the invading presence filling in every gap. Even then, the Master Sword was blank, robotic at best. Ghirahim mixed his words with venom, expressive even as a disembodied spirit.

"I'm going, I'm going." He muttered, tucking the sword under his arm. He wanted it to appear as non-threatening as possible. From an outsider's perspective, the blade still looked evil, yes, but it was not recognizable as Demise's. If he could reduce the oncoming shock by any amount, it would help. Link elected to enter through the main doors. Sneaking up behind them may have sent the wrong message. He may have been overthinking this.

The Sealed Temple had never looked so menacing before him, the heavy doors closed as they always were. His friends were waiting for him inside, starting to worry, he was sure. He hadn't meant to be gone for so long.

_You don't need to tell them why you got a little... sidetracked. Just what you found._

The voice rang in his mind, making Link jump. It did not help his scattered thoughts, but a new one came forward: _Does Ghirahim know what I'm thinking?_

 _When you project it so loudly, yes._ The demon sighed, like scolding a child. _You're going to have to learn to control your emotions better, it's a wonder your sword put up with you. I'm practically shaking from **your** fear._

Link felt his stomach tie up in knots. This invasion of his privacy was _not_ what he signed up for when taking the sword. It was supposed to be like with Fi, it was supposed to be like having the Master Sword again, it was supposed to—

 _Oh, stop your whining. You'll get used to it._ Ghirahim groaned, and the sword flashed once. _Deal with the problem at hand, then we can focus on your misunderstanding of our arrangement._

Link was still struggling to steady his breath when he reached a shaky hand out to push the door open. He plastered a pained smile on his face, trying to hide his insecurities, as he entered the temple.

Inside, Zelda and Groose had littered maps all over the floor, models and plans marked up to show every possible scenario for moving to the surface. Zelda sat crossed legged near the Gate of Time, pointing out a pin on one of the maps with a grim expression. Groose was listening intently.

At the sound of the door, both of their heads snapped up.

"Link! You've been gone a while. Everything okay?" Zelda bounced up, instantly forgetting what she had been working on. "I was going to go look for you, but Groose said you'd be fine, you went off on your own all the time while I was gone. I still get worried sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah, I was just—"

"What's that you have there?" Before Link could finish his sentence, Zelda interrupted him. She was pointing at the sword hastily tucked under his arm, blade nestled against his side. Hesitantly, Link brought it into the light.

"It's a sword. I found it. It's... special."

Link worried his lip as Zelda examined the weapon. Luckily, she didn't ask to hold it, but her scrutinizing gaze and lack of response was concerning at best. She showed no sign of recognition.

"It's dark. I can feel the energy coming off of it... you should be careful. You can't go around picking up strange objects we know nothing about."

Jokingly pushing his shoulder, Zelda softened her expression. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Well, the thing is..."

Link never finished his statement. A loud clap of thunder shook the building, dust falling down from the ceiling as the sound vibrated the walls. Strangely enough, sunlight still poured in through the cracks, highlighting the maps on the floor.

"We should head back before this gets worse," Groose said as he began rolling up the nearest paper. "I hate flying through storms."

Zelda nodded. Waving Link forward, she began cleaning up the layout, handing Link rolled parchment to carry as she went.

"While you were gone, we ran into a problem. I know we marked Lanayru and Eldin as out of the question for habitation, but Faron will pose some challenges we didn't expect. We may need to look into the others."

Link jugled the sword and parchment as he followed her around. "What's wrong with Faron Woods?"

"For one, there's a network of hidden temples like this one, and you've only been to... three of them?" She asked, shoving more paper into Link's arms.

"Yeah, here, Skyview, and the Ancient Cistern, but why is that a problem?"

Zelda brushed off a map. "They're full of ancient magic, dark magic. This one is okay, Impa guarded it for all those years, but the others... Skyview is falling apart and infested with monsters, and you've told me about the catacombs of the Ancient Cistern, who knows what lurks in the unexplored areas. There could be a network of tunnels under these woods, full of dangers we haven't encountered yet."

"I really would prefer Faron. You guys don't know Eldin and Lanayru like I do, they really aren't habitable for anything other than mogmas." 

Zelda stopped with a hand on her hip. "I know the areas just as well as you, Link. I was there too."

Link almost contradicted her, that she wasn't sent on a wild loftwing chase like he was, but he bit his tongue. "So, we can't move here?"

"No, I think we still can, we'll just need some time to make sure it really is safe. Maybe send a few exploration parties out, do some more research."

Link's shoulders fell. The setback would not only mean it could be years before they made the move, but also that he wouldn't be able to convince her to let him go explore the uncharted land none of their maps accounted for. It would be hard enough convincing her he wouldn't be alone anymore, but now he would be expected to join any knights that came down to the surface to clear the land.

"How long does this put us off?"

"Oh, not long!" Zelda said brightly. "I just need to find some old maps of the surface, these temples _are_ dedicated to the golden goddesses, they can't be too sinister in design. By the way, you didn't get that sword out of a new ruin, did you?" She eyed the blade warily.

"No, it was in Skyview, but, listen, I think I've found a solution to the problem with letting me explore beyond our maps-"

"Link, I've told you before, we can't spare anyone right now, and even if you are our most talented knight, I can't bare to lose you. I don't want you going alone. I'm sorry to delay it further, but... can't you just wait until we're settled down here, at least?"

With a sigh, Zelda placed the last of the diagrams in Link's arms. "Thanks."

"I... sure."

Link couldn't bring himself to argue with her. As another loud clap of thunder boomed overhead, Zelda bounded up to Groose, tugging a ripped book from his hand.

"Oh! We do have some good news, as well! I think you might like this!"

Relieving him of map-holding duty, Zelda tucked the stack under her arm. She handed him the worn book, the title on the cover faded and illegible.

"It's a biography of the founder of Skyloft! I know that sounds boring, but, hear me out: chapter thirteen goes into his life _before_ being sent to the sky, and tells a different story of the first hero than we learned in class."

"Thank you, Zelda. I'll look into it."

Link tucked the book into his belt. Following the others out the side entrance to the temple, he quietly tried fitting Ghirahim opposite the training sword on his back, secured by the belt.

"You're not... bringing that up, are you?" Zelda questioned him, watching as he fumbled with the blade.

 _Now's the time to tell them._

As the words filtered through his mind, Link wasn't sure which one of them thought it.

"Oh, I wanted to keep looking into it, I think I read something about a similar sword, I wanted to see if its the same one, I'm sure it's not—" A loud clap of thunder cut off Link's rambling. "Dangerous."

Shaking her head, Zelda turned back to the path. They were coming closer to the bird statue. "Just... promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

* * *

Link slammed the door to his bedroom in frustration. Sliding down with a groan, he buried his face in his hands. There had been so many times he had a chance to tell Zelda about Ghirahim, wandering around running errands with her. And still, he said nothing. Not when returning the training sword, surrounded by weapons where she, too, could feel safe; not when alone together in the library, a good place to gently break the news; not when she left him by his room, with one last warning to be careful with the sword. Each time it came up, he actively deflected the question. He could _feel_ the frustration coursing through the blade. 

" _What_ was that all about?" The angry demon appeared in front of him, towering over Link as he glared down. "I _thought_ we agreed hiding me is not the best option?"

"I never said that!" Link shouted, slamming his head back against the door. "At least, I never said that **out loud**."

Ghirahim turned away from him, cloak almost catching on the table Link kept at the end of his bed. "What does that matter? You still had plenty of chances to tell the truth, and yet you hide behind lies of omission. To what means, Link? How long are you planning on hiding me, confining me to the sword in the presence of others?"

"I don't know! It's only been, what, four hours? I was distracted, we were trying to escape a thunderstorm, there will be a better time!"

"I am not a patient demon, _Link_ ," Ghirahim hissed, and Link couldn't help but flinch, "I will not tolerate your little game of pretend. You either tell them the truth, or I assure you, your friends will find out the hard way, and I do not give a damn what they think."

Standing up from the floor, Link raised himself to his full height. He was still much shorter than Ghirahim, and though his voice was feeble, he told the spirit, "You can't threaten me anymore. I'm your master."

Ghirahim snapped back around when Link brought that up. As he stalked forward, Link gulped, trying to stand his ground. Though he held the sword in his hand, he felt incredibly vulnerable.

"You think that means I'm no longer a danger to you, _skychild_?" Enunciating each syllable of the pet name, Ghirahim's tongue reminded Link of when it was first used against him as an insult.

_**You are mistaken.** _

Clapping his hands over his ears with a shout, Link recoiled back. Ghirahim's voice resounded through his head as a painful onslaught of emotions flooded his mind. Fury. Outrage. Anger. Sadistic delight at his turmoil.

It was almost unbearable.

Reaching a hand out to grip the demon's cloak, Link whimpered,"St-stop. . ," a weak order that Ghirahim still complied with. Helping Link to rest at the edge of his bed, Ghirahim ran his gloved fingers through Link's hair possessively.

"I think you will find it best to not get on my bad side, _master_."

Link shuddered. Though Ghirahim called him master, he was not in control. This wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't anything like Fi, and wasn't how he remembered Ghirahim, for that matter. After three months with no sign of the sword, not knowing if he would even see him again, had he created a version of the demon in his head that was better than the real thing?

"I don't want you in my head. I don't want you in my head."

With a sigh, Ghirahim sat down next to Link, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He appeared sympathetic, though still annoyed. "It's a two way mirror. You have to learn not to stare into it."

Link didn't understand, and only stared at him blankly. Rolling his eyes, Ghirahim elaborated, "I can communicate with you without a physical voice. It's the safest way for a sword to advise during battle, as we are strongest when we concentrate our energy into maintaining one form. What you feel is only a reflection of your own emotions, though it is enhanced by what I choose to feed you. If you did not already have it in your heart, you would not feel it."

"That's not very comforting." Link groaned, falling back onto his bed. All he had received from the sword so far was different levels of anger, fury too complex for him to understand. It was easier to chalk it off as Ghirahim's emotions, not his own. He didn't want to hold that contempt in his heart, and he didn't want to know where it came from. Burying his face into a pillow, he muffled his cry of frustration.

Ghirahim stayed still, silently staring forward. When he spoke next, it choppy and hesitant.

"It's not meant to be. My limited power over you comes at a price. You essentially have... total control over me. I do not expect you to know how to exercise it, or that I will ever push you to the point you would need to use it. But it is still there. If you tried hard enough, you could force yourself into my mind as well."

Link pulled the pillow away. Holding it tightly to his chest, he tried to process what Ghirahim had just told him. "I don't want to. I don't think you'd let me, anyway." 

Ghirahim glanced at him, lips turned upwards in a sly smile.

"You're right there. I learned how to seal myself off from that kind of invasion early on. Demise was... not very kind when it came to ensuring the loyalty of his followers. As his closest servant, I experienced his cautiousness twofold."

"And it still didn't work."

Ghirahim grew tense. Link could see it in the cold stare once again directed at him. He fidgeted uncomfortable under the gaze, unsure of what he did wrong. 

"I will not say I betrayed him, even now. I don't regret my loyalty, only that I pledged myself to him in the first place. In the end, he was the one to cut me off. I am anything but disloyal."

Link didn't respond. It was worrying, what Ghirahim told him, but incurring the demon's wrath again would not solve any problem. He would address Ghirahim's harsh reaction to the insinuation later. Turning away from Link, the tension dropping from his shoulders, Ghirahim relaxed somewhat. His focus wandered to the window, the fading light of the day washing the room with gold. 

"After years of being out of practice, my abilities may have... slipped somewhat. This is partially my fault. It is not usually so intense, it would be too obvious. I did enjoy the illusion of free will, I wasn't about to have it taken away because I was careless."

Link sat back up, wary of the demon's words. Though he never wanted Ghirahim in his head again, the thought of him being there, but without him knowing, was worse. With the pain, at least it was obvious it wasn't his own doing. 

"It is easy, once you understand how it works, to manipulate what the other hears and feels. Demise did not realize I was using his own tricks on him."

"NOT making me feel better!"

"Do you want me to make you feel better?" The demon teased, sliding up against Link, pressing him to the wall. Link froze in his hold, suspicious of the mood change from Ghirahim. Just moments ago he had been furious with him, lashing out and hurting him worse than any previous attack. Link wasn't even sure if he realized the damage he had caused. 

"Again? So soon?" He laughed anxiously, mentally marking the exits. The action was silly. Ghirahim would stop if he asked. If he ordered.

"I just think you may need some... _convincing_ that this relationship will be beneficial for the both of us." Tugging the pillow out of Link's arms, there was nothing between them. Link was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"I'm, oh, I'm not... I know we'll make this work, just, Ghirahim, _please_ ," Link whispered as the demon latched his lips to his neck, sucking a mark into his skin. A small part of Link reminded him that it would be hard to cover, that his friends still didn't know about the sword.

"Tell me what you want."

He didn't know. He thought he knew, he thought, after three months away, pining after someone he didn't even know was still alive, Link would be happy to have him back. He thought becoming the sword's master was the solution to his problems, not the cause of more. He thought life was supposed to be easy after saving the world. 

Deft hands were pushing up his tunic, blunt nails digging into his chest. It was so familiar, yet so foreign, to feel Ghirahim against him, soft lips leaving biting kisses instead of colorful threats and dangerous promises, blood drawn from fangs, not daggers, skin sensitive from gentle touch, not cuts. Link bit back a moan, whimpering as he writhed under the care of a demon.

"Please. More. I want _you_."

In the back of his mind, Link wondered if this was really him, or if Ghirahim was manipulating his emotions again. _If you did not already have it in your heart, you would not feel it_. Relaxing into the demon's grip, he began to let go, letting himself fall into that sweet space of unaware bliss. He trusted Ghirahim.

How easily Link could forget the pain for a fantasy he created in his head.

* * *

It was well into the night, but Link laid awake, thinking. Ghirahim stayed asleep across from him (at least, Link thought he was asleep), soft breaths ruffling the silvery hair that fell across the pillow. He wanted to run his fingers through that hair.

Link was torn. He was incredibly happy to have the demon back in his life, even more so to have him in a world without Demise. He wanted nothing more than to give Ghirahim what he wanted, a chance at life without the overbearing weight of a sword master, but he wasn't sure if he could take the consequences that came with being his. Fi had been easy. There was no manual for how to work with a sword spirit, yet she had provided all the information he needed. Ghirahim was, unfortunately, nowhere near as helpful.

This is what he wanted, he told himself. This is the exact outcome you dreamed of, a future without Demise but with Ghirahim. Everything else will solve itself.

_It's not what you really want, is it._

Link wanted to argue with the part of him that was still unsatisfied, but it was right. He didn't just want Ghirahim, he wanted to be free of masters and swords and fate or freedom. He had enough of responsibility for a lifetime, he just wanted to settle down.

That was why the surface called out to him. The unexplored areas, open to adventuring, not touched by the confines of his quest. There were no maps, no sacred tablets to guide him, and though Link had been extremely grateful to have them on his quest, he was ready to make decisions for himself. He didn't want the helping hand of a goddess to guide him. Not anymore.

A cool wind blew in from the window, and Link pulled the covers up around his chin. They had forgotten to close it. 

He tried to go back to sleep. He tried to focus on the real world, not his disorganized thoughts. The blanket scratched at his skin. The air in his room was cold. Ghirahim was too warm against his chest, his stillness strangely frustrating Link. Another reminder he wasn't human, not like him.

It was no use. Untangling himself from the demon, Link carefully pulled himself out of the covers, trying not to wake the other. The night air was harsh against his bare skin.

In the moonlight, Link couldn't see much, but from the shadowy reflection in his mirror, he looked a mess. He hadn't had this many scrapes and bruises since he fought the demon king. He felt a little sick to his stomach, knowing he begged for each and every one of them. 

Link slipped on his tunic to cover himself. Without the added undershirt, or chain mail, or belts and pouches, it hung loosely on his form. His room was still cold, but it was better than nothing. 

The warmth under the covers called him back. How he wanted to hide under them again, tucked against the comforting presence of another, safe in a peaceful sleep. Yet, the anxious thoughts kept him awake, dragging him out to the sword on his desk.

The blade had an eerie sense of beauty about it. In the daylight, it looked harsh, out of place, dangerous. At night, it appeared softer, though deadly still. It was made for darkness, looked more natural here than in the bright forest.

He would learn to use it. He would find a way to become stronger, take whatever the demon dealt him, and be a worthy master for the blade. There had to be a way. The Master Sword hadn't taken to him in a day, after all.

Distantly, Link thought of sacred flames and blessings from the goddess. If those would work on this sword, to help expel the last of Demise's hold on Ghirahim. He knew he could never really squash the darkness from the demon, but he wanted to try and ease him of some of that anger. As much as he felt the pain, he knew Ghirahim must have had it worse. 

Link knew the answers were on the surface, in the unexplored lands that belonged to Hylia's chosen. The ancient textbooks of the people of Skyloft described a world below the clouds full destruction and malice, once beautiful rivers and valleys destroyed by armies of demons. He knew it was healed now, but so much of it was left untouched. What secrets laid beyond the borders of Faron, Lanayru, and Eldin? 

How far would he have to go to find answers from a distant past?

He thought having the goddess for a friend would mean he didn't have to look far. Zelda was supposed to have all of Hylia's memories, but she said it was more complicated than that. She couldn't just pick out a moment from a virtually infinite lifespan to answer Link's questions, she was shown what she needed to see when it was convenient. Zelda confined in him once that she didn't really feel like Hylia, just a vessel for her spirit. She was only the goddess in name. He felt her pain.

He may have been chosen, but he felt like no hero. Heroes defeated the enemy because it was the right thing to do, not because they wanted out of their destiny. Even now, Link was plagued by the doubts instilled in him by so many.

What would they think of him now? This sword was never meant to be wielded by the chosen hero. Everyone who doubted him would see this as a point to their argument, even if he won the final battle. What if... what if he had done something wrong, and just as when he failed to use the triforce correctly, what if he wasn't finished?

This was not the first time he thought this. In his final moments, the demon king's curse had scarred Link more than any wound. _An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time._ With no way into the sealed chamber in the temple, Link had no idea if the Master Sword was even still there, guarding the last of Demise. Ghirahim said he was no longer tied to him, but what if waking the sword woke the master?

 _No_. Demise was not the master of the blade any longer. Fi slept on, her sacrifice protecting them. Any doubts Link had were just leftover unprocessed emotions. 

He reached out to slide his hand along the edge of the sword.

"What do you want at this hour?"

Link jumped. Ghirahim was scowling at him from the bed, propped up on one elbow and brushing his hair out of his face with the other hand. Relaxing, Link wandered back over to him.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Really. Your head isn't just full of clouds, skychild?"

Giggling, Link climbed back into bed. "Nah. Sometimes there are loftwings as well." He said with a yawn. "Keeps it interesting."

"Well. How about you 'keep it interesting' in the morning? I may not need it, but I do like sleep." 

Cuddling closer, Link sighed deeply.

"Me too."


	2. Never Good at Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link breaks the news to Zelda, but it does not go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This](https://gamebanana.com/skins/169440) isn't exactly the sword I pictured when describing Ghirahim's new form, but I think it works better. It's from a BOTW mod, which makes me wish I could mod my game now.

When Link woke again, light was pouring in through the window. With a displeased groan, he rolled over, pulling the covers over his head to block the sun out.

He only startled a little when someone pulled the covers back.

Peeking out from under them, Link saw Ghirahim quietly watching him, lost in thought. Link took a moment to admire his neutral expression, face not marred by anger or twisted with the sword's dark grin. Ghirahim was strange, but beautiful. Any of his features by themselves would have been flaws to others, such as greyish skin or the dark circles under his eyes, but on him... they worked. He was not of Link's world, and had the same ethereal grace of Fi, or the silent realms. Dangerous, deadly. Ready to attack at a moment's notice, but with unparalleled elegance. Link was incredibly grateful to finally have him in a moment like this, so insignificant and trivial in the grand scheme of things. So sickeningly _domestic_ to wake up next to the demon lord, no taunting or sweet talk or threats. Link suddenly felt the sappy need to cry.

"You're still here." He whispered, gently threading his fingers through Ghirahim's bangs.

Ghirahim looked surprised, snapped out of his daydreams. "Where else would I be?"

Link's face heated up. "It's just... this is the first time you've stayed. It's the first time we've woken up together."

Though he tried to bury his face into the pillow in embarrassment, Ghirahim laughed at him while pulling him in for a kiss. It was soft, sweet, and Link felt any doubts he had melt away, for the time being. 

"I'm not going to leave you now. I hate to break your romantic fantasy of what this is, but I can't leave. You have my sword."

Link sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm sorry, I'm just really happy to have you back. To have you at all, really."

"You're still emotional from last night." Ghirahim teased, ruffling his hair. He was probably right, but that didn't stop Link from feeling the warmth in his chest swell up with every brush of their skin. Ghirahim was stirring again, sitting up to leave the bed.

"You're going to tell the spirit maiden today, right?"

Tell Zelda. About Ghirahim. It was a terrible idea, but hiding him was worse. Link gripped the blanket at the thought, but he knew both of them deserved the truth.

"Yes."

Ghirahim looked as if he was unimpressed at Link's answer, but a loud knock on the door captured both of their attentions.

"Hey, sleepyhead! You promised to help me in the bazaar today, remember! I stopped sending my bird after you like I promised, but you've still got to wake up!"

Link groaned loudly, throwing his arm over his eyes. "I'll be there in ten minutes!" He called out, and at Ghirahim's questioning glance, added, "Zelda."

"Don't take too long!"

Link mumbled an affirmation. Rolling off the bed and onto the floor, he tried to kick away the sheets, failing miserably and only tangling himself further.

"Is this how most mornings are with you?" Ghirahim sighed, stepping up but ignoring Link's struggles as he thrashed around on the floor.

" _Most_ morning are spent sleeping," Finally untangling himself, Link took a moment to lie still. "I don't like waking up. It's way too early for it, anyway."

"It can't be earlier than midday, what do you mean 'too early'?" Ghirahim groaned incredulously. Link shrugged, sitting up to stretch. 

"I'm not happily getting out of bed until the clock leaves the double digits, and that's _after_ the sun has risen." Standing back up, he fiddled with the edge of his tunic, aware of Ghirahim's eyes on him. Pulling it over his head, he tossed it into a pile of laundry with a blush.

Link walked past him to get to his wardrobe, pulling out an everyday outfit while trying not to lean over too far. 

"So you do wear something other than green." Link heard a snap, and when he turned back, Ghirahim had on his full ensemble.

"I'm not planning on leaving Skyloft today, I don't need to wear the knight uniform all the time." Under his breath, he added, "Despite what Pipit may tell me."

Ghirahim shook his head, heading for the sword on the desk. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"My friends. You'll know them soon enough." Link adjusted his belts, trying to find one that would work with Ghirahim's sword. The lack of scabbard meant he would have to make do with a generic sheath, which Ghirahim would surely complain about, but he had to hold the sword somehow.

Tugging his boots on, Link watched as Ghirahim's hand wavered over the blade.

"If you tell them."

A little guilty, Link sighed. He walked over to the demon, arm outstretched for the sword. "I will."

Ghirahim didn't make a move. He skimmed the armoured gem, palm resting against the hilt. The silence was empty, Link couldn't figure out what Ghirahim was thinking. Turning back to Link, he held out the sword to him.

"And just when I thought you couldn't look more ridiculous." He teased, pulling Link forward by the sword belt and pressing a kiss to his head. "I guess it's time for me to disappear."

"By the time we're back, I'll have told her." Link promised again, as if the words would will it into existence without any action on his part.

Ghirahim disappeared into the sword with a low chime.

* * *

It took Link longer than ten minutes to finish getting ready.

"Zelda, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's no problem Link, I woke you up sooner than I needed to. We still have half an hour before we're supposed to meet the others." Zelda assured him, waiting by the door to the Academy. She was smiling, but stopped when she noticed the sword on his back.

"You're not bringing that with you?"

"Yeah..?" Link glanced aside, confused.

"I'd be a lot more comfortable if you left that somewhere safe. The training house is open, there's sure to be plenty of more experienced knights in there today."

Link froze at her words. "More experienced? Zelda, remind me how many of them have actually dealt with anything worse than a loose remlit."

Crossing her arms, Zelda rolled her eyes. "I just meant there's more of them. There's strength in numbers, you don't have to go through anything alone anymore."

"I never really did, but that doesn't mean I trust... I mean I don't think the sword is _that_ dangerous."

"Then why bring it with you?"

_Tell her._

Link stuttered while searching for an answer. He hadn't planned on explaining so soon, he wanted to make sure Zelda wasn't going to do something drastic like throw it off Skyloft or forcibly take it away. All she would have to do is scream and Link would be outnumbered. He needed more time to lead her into the conversation, and the beginnings of an argument was not what he needed. 

"Leave it here. Please." Stepping up, Zelda placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're safe now, Link. There's no need for swords." Though she was trying to sooth him, Link could feel her unease around the blade. He hated himself for bringing this on her, but if he could just have time to explain, it wouldn't be so bad, right?

"Fine." Link sighed, heading back to his room. "I think you'll wish I brought it with me when you find out what it is." He mumbled under his breath, already out of range of Zelda. 

Opening the lock to his room again, Link pulled the sword from the sheath. He held it out in front of him, meekly apologizing.

"I'm sorry. Stay here, please. You can leave the sword, but not the room. Don't try to make too much noise." Link pressed the blade against his forehead. "By the time I'm back, I'll have told her, okay?"

The sword chimed in answer. He had no way to tell what that meant. Setting it down on the desk, Link left to regroup with Zelda. 

*

"So then, Fledge says, 'what do you mean stamina potions are just watered down chuchu jelly?', and Groose starts _bawling_ , I mean, actually dying from laughter, he almost fell off his bird. It wasn't even that funny, but the dumb 'chu-herder could have hurt himself. He says he's a good flyer, but the number of times I've had to save his ass..."

Link absently listened to Zelda's story. She looked so happy, after everything they'd been through, _finally_. All he could think of was how he was about to crush that happiness.

"Anyway, he gave me a list of supplies he thinks he'll need to start clearing out the monsters in the forest. I told him I'd get it through the academy's funds, dad said we could take anything we needed as long as it went towards 'education on the surface'. Groose offered to lead the first team, you know? And since Karane and Pipit really want to see the surface, they can join. I think three's enough, don't you? As long as one of us that have actually been there lead, I don't think we all need to go."

"Yeah."

Zelda stopped walking. "You okay? You seem preoccupied."

"Just thinking."

"What about? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Link sighed. "I know, Zel. I..." he trailed off, clamming up again. Words were hard, sometimes.

"Hard for you to say?" Zelda finished. "Don't worry, I'll be here when you're ready. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." She reassured him, slipping her hand into his and squeezing. 

Link nodded. As Zelda went back to listing the items Groose needed, he tried to plan the conversation in his head. 

_So, uh, the sword's actually incredibly dangerous. It's Ghirahim. But he's not that dangerous! I mean, not while I have it. On his own, yes, but I have it now, so, not dangerous. Not too dangerous, at least. I think._

No matter what he said, it would be a mess. As they kept walking towards the bazaar, Link grew more and more agitated. 

Outside the curtain entrance, Zelda stopped him.

"Okay, for real. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just... I can't tell you _here_ , can we just forget about it for now?"

Zelda grew more concerned. "I'll give the supply list to the others, or we can get it another time, Link, seriously. Something's wrong, and you don't have to tell me, but you should at least take the day off."

Taking a deep breath, Link tried to calm himself down. "It's not that bad, really. I'll talk to you after we finish this." Pulling aside the curtain, Link went ahead of her, afraid that he would break down if they kept talking. 

Zelda didn't push, but Link could tell she wanted to. She was being uncharacteristically quiet. When they met them, Groose, Karane, and Pipit were already waiting at the cafe, gathered around one of the tables. Zelda didn't wave to them with as much enthusiasm as she normally did. 

Link hung back from the friend group as they drifted from shop to shop, discussing the plans for the surface. He tuned out the conversation, occasionally adding a simple 'mhm' or 'yeah, yeah' in an attempt to seem interested in what they were saying. 

When it was time to leave, he declined the offer to visit the Lumpy Pumpkin with the rest. Zelda took the hint.

"I've just got some homework to catch up on." Link mumbled as an excuse. 

Zelda looped an arm around his. "Me too! We missed the same stuff, Link promised to help me out!"

"Oh, you poor things! They're still having you do make up work?" Karane asked sympathetically. Link ruffled his hair and shrugged, he had hoped they would take the excuse without questioning it too much.

"I wasn't told anything about any—OW!" Groose started to say, before Zelda roughly elbowed him. "What was that for!"

"Well, we'll see you back at the academy!" Zelda waved goodbye, tugging Link out the door with her. 

Outside of the bazaar, Zelda began leading Link towards the academy. After glancing back to make sure the others went in a different direction, she stopped, holding tightly to Link's hand in the small alcove where the butterflies gathered. One fluttered past her head, and Link couldn't help but remember this same scene happening when they were younger. He had wanted to kiss her then, thinking the friendship he felt towards her had to be more. They had almost given in to the rumors the village women spread, that boys and girls weren't supposed to be 'just best friends'. He knew better now.

"Where do you want to go?" Zelda asked, bringing Link out of his thoughts.

"Somewhere we won't be interrupted."

"Top of the waterfall?" She grinned, referring to a place they had found as kids. It wasn't explicitly off limits, but as far as they knew, they were the only ones that had regularly gone up there.

"Sure."

*

From up on top of Skyloft, the sky looked endless. The cloud barrier never thinned, distant islands floating above its thick cover. It could have gone on forever, an empty world below and beyond their safe haven. Link wondered how he ever felt this tiny town was enough for him.

He watched as Zelda jumped the small river, landing on the rock in between the two stream of the waterfall. It was funny to think that used to be the most dangerous thing they could do, a wrong step away from an unexpected dive. Now, wrong steps meant lost friendships, people getting hurt, and lives on the line. 

"Skyloft seems a lot smaller without the Goddess, doesn't it?" Zelda remarked causally, kicking her legs off the edge.

"Yeah."

She sighed, her attempt to get him to talk not working.

"So what's wrong, Link?"

Too much. Everything was wrong, and it wasn't supposed to be at all. Link sank to his knees on the other side of the stream. The divide between him and Zelda felt so much larger than a shallow stretch of water.

"It's about the sword."

Zelda fell silent. Skimming her hand over the water, she whispered, "Go on."

"Zelda, this sword... I think it may be what's left of Ghirahim."

There were no explosions. No yelling, no outburst from the girl sitting across from him. Zelda said nothing.

Link thought he should have felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest, but instead, it only grew heavier. He was still lying. He _knew_ the sword was Ghirahim, but telling her he only thought so let him see how she took to the idea. It still wasn't right, but it was a step towards the right direction. The step he needed to take before drowning in the truth.

"Are you... what do you think about this?"

Zelda did not look towards him. Stare set forward, jaw tense, she sat a little straighter.

"I'm sorry, I just don't understand how you could find something you thought held the remains of a murderous spirit, **that tried to kill us and the whole world** , and you brought it _here_?" 

"He can't hurt us anymore, I'm sure of it, and even if he could he's been very weakened." Link began to explain, but his voice felt weak, and Zelda's anger was still too calm. He would have been more comfortable if she had yelled, screamed, cried, _anything_ but the unreadable blank stare. He had never been good with people, never good at judging the extent of their emotions without straightforward expressions. 

It didn't matter if he was comfortable. Zelda had every right to be angry.

"How do you know that?"

"I'm the sword's master now. I took it from its place of rest."

"Oh, and that makes him somehow not dangerous?" Zelda turned away, stronger anger creeping into her voice.

"Fi warned me, this is the only way to control him."

"Link, I'm sorry, but Fi wasn't at her best, her judgement was clouded."

"Who's fault was that?"

As soon as he said it, Link felt he had gone too far. They had made amends over Zelda's role as Hylia, but he still felt bitter when her involvement was brought up. Link had spent so much of his quest blaming Hylia for everything, it was hard to forgive and forget even after finding out Zelda was partially responsible. If she would stop treating him like a child, it would have been easier to separate her from the goddess of the past.

Zelda finally turned to face him. "Link, I've apologized more times than I can count, what more do you want me to do?"

" _Trust_ me! You say you're sorry, but you don't show it! I _know_ that wasn't the end, there's something still out there we need to do or find, I can just feel it!"

"Well, yeah, if you found the demon that started the whole thing! I can't believe you're defending it, you want this over? Kill the source!"

Link stood back up, wandering over to the edge of the waterfall. The swirling vortex that lead to Eldin glowed in the distance. Beneath the clouds, he knew there was something else, something other than Ghirahim keeping him tied to a destiny he never asked for.

"That's not it. There's something else out there, and this could be the answer to our problems. I can go to the surface, you'll feel better because I'm not alone, I can find out why we were pulled into this in the first place."

A splash from behind him caught his attention. Zelda had misjudged the jump, slipping the last few steps and crashing into the water. Soaked, she stood back up, angrier than ever, and continued arguing with Link, 

"Are you out of your mind? You think I'm going to let you go somewhere we know nothing about, with a sword that most likely holds an evil spirit? Do you not see how horrible of an idea this is?"

"You're not going to _let_ me doing anything." Link said darkly. "Just because you don't send me on useless quests anymore doesn't mean you can keep me from doing what I want."

Zelda looked hurt. 

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I'm trying to help!"

"Then trust me!" Link held out a hand to help her out of the water. "Even if Ghirahim is dangerous, I can handle him. I've defeated him more than any other enemy, I've **killed Demise** for the gods' sake! There's nothing left for him to fight for!" 

Zelda pushed his hand away, getting out of the water on her own. "Why do you care about him so much? I'd think you'd want him gone too, after everything he put us through!"

Link hesitated. He was angry, but not emotional enough to accidentally tell her too much. Taking a deep breath, he came up with the second best answer as to why he wanted Ghirahim around so badly. 

"He's from the Era of Hylia. Like Fi, like Impa, but he's the only one left. He remembers. He can help."

Zelda didn't yell at him, but crossed her arms warily. Link reached out to her, but his hand fell short, falling back into place at his side.

"Don't you want to know why? Why _us_? "

"Link, I am _literally_ Hylia."

"Then why can't you just tell me! You have her memories!" He yelled, his voice raising to her level for the first time. Zelda groaned loudly, her hands coming up to push her hair out of her face.

"It's not that simple!" 

Walking away from him, Zelda waved him off. "I'm not talking about this anymore. I've told you, it doesn't matter why, just that we were chosen by the goddess. We did what we had to do, we can leave it at that."

"I'm sorry, _your Grace_ , but I thought my duty to you would be finished when I did what you failed to."

Link pushed past her, pulling out his sailcloth as he neared the edge. 

"Link, wait-"

"You can't stop me."

* * *

"We're leaving."

Ghirahim nearly dropped the carving he was examining when Link slammed the door. Perched on Link's desk, he watched as the boy threw open his closet, pulling out various tools and weapons, leaving them in a scattered pile on the floor.

"To where..?" He questioned Link, trying to get him to elaborate.

Link dropped his claw shots on the floor with a loud crash. "The surface."

This was not a good enough answer for Ghirahim. "The surface is massive. I'll ask you again, _where_?"

"I don't know yet! Isn't that great?" Link smiled brightly, already changing into his knight's uniform.

"You don't know. How do you not know? Do you plan to just jump off your island and hope to land on solid ground eventually?"

"Yep!" Link exclaimed, shoving items into various pouches. "Well, I'll probably have to start at one of the openings in the cloud barrier, but from there, who knows! There's unexplored areas out there, new ruins to discover! So exciting!"

Ghirahim was slightly concerned at Link's over-exaggerated glee. Sliding off the desk, he stepped forward until he was towering over Link, kneeling on the ground as he tried to fit a harp into a pocket much too small for it. 

"Exciting." Dropping to his level, Ghirahim grabbed Link's hand, stilling his movement. "What went wrong?"

Link fell silent. After a few seconds, he sighed, setting the harp down. "I told Zelda."

"And?"

"And she... she doesn't understand." Popping back up, Link kicked aside a discarded slingshot. "I don't know why she thinks she can still— I'm not a child!"

Under his breath, Ghirahim muttered, "You're acting like one."

Link did not hear him. "She says she's sorry, that it's over, but she doesn't trust me! Why doesn't she care about this, it's her past too, can't she still feel it out there?" Link rambled, growing more frantic as he paced his room. 

Ghirahim snapped his fingers and appeared in front of him, halting his pacing. "Calm down." Guiding him to the bed, Ghirahim forced Link to sit. "Now, start at the beginning. She doesn't trust you. Why are we throwing our self into danger?"

Link's shoulders slumped. "You already know that she's the reincarnation of Hylia, and I'm her hero. She admitted to using me so Demise would be defeated, but says she's sorry." Drawing his knees to his chest, Link scooted over so Ghirahim could sit next to him. 

"It's an empty apology. If she really was regretful, she wouldn't still be trying to control me, to get me to do what she wants. I don't understand how she can't feel it, but... there's something out there. I don't remember if you were there or not, but Demise used his final breaths to curse us." 

Ghirahim tightened his grip on Link's hand. ". . . probably nothing. Out of curiosity, what did he say?"

"Um, 'an incarnation of my hatred will follow your kind for the rest of eternity'. I don't remember it exactly."

Ghirahim could tell Link was hiding something, but he didn't press. 

"Okay. So you're worried about this, and what to know more, but she doesn't believe you."

"Yeah. I... I told her that's why I picked up your sword. Not because, you know..."

Link brought a hand up to ruffle his hair, blush growing from his cheeks to his ears.

"But, yeah, I know the surface holds the answers I need, and she won't 'let' me go. Her reasoning was she didn't want me going alone, which I understand, but now that I have you..."

"You're not alone and she still doesn't trust you." Ghirahim finished. Link nodded.

"I got mad at her. She can't stop me anymore, and I'm really not needed here. It's not like I'm leaving for months at a time, I'll be around when I am. I just... need to get away. I need to start somewhere."

Ghirahim patted his shoulder in agreement. In a flash of diamonds, he was standing in front of Link, arms outstretched.

"Well? Are you ready to go?"

Link looked up, suprised. "Hmm?"

"You _could_ stay here and apologize," Ghirahim offered, but it was clear this wasn't his real intention. Summoning his sword, he held it out to Link, diamonds still dancing around it. " _Or_ , you can take matters into your own hands, find out what the spirit maiden is keeping from you."

"She's not—"

"Oh, don't be so naive. She's Hylia, why do you think she doesn't want you going to the surface? Your goddess is hiding something."

Link's eyes widened.

"You don't think she'd really..?"

Ghirahim chuckled. "Is it not obvious? There's something down there she doesn't want you to find out!" Stepping forward, Ghirahim placed a hand on Link's face, gently rubbing his cheek. 

"Aren't you just _aching_ to know? What dirty little secrets has her majesty kept from her chosen hero?"

Taking the sword, Link slowly stood up. His hand brushed against Ghirahim's for a lingering second before the spirit let go, stepping back with a grin.

"I can take you down there right now, no need to worry about the cloud barrier. A straight shot into the unknown, for you. No maps, no ancient tablets, just me... as your guide. It's been a while since I last was in the land of Hyrule."

Link looked up at him, confused. "Hyrule?"

Ghirahim ignored him. "So, what do you say? Still up for a little adventure?" Leaning down to kiss Link's head, Ghirahim ran a finger along the blade of the sword. "Just tell me when you're ready to go."

In a flash of diamonds, the spirit was gone. Link blinked blankly at the blade, still processing everything Ghirahim had said.

_Tell me when you're ready to find out the truth._

Of course, the goddess was not the only one keeping secrets, and any answers Link found would come with a heavy price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghirahim is a bad influence


	3. Unknown Lands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Ghirahim begin to explore what is left of Hyrule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want an idea of where this fits the BOTW map, The Great Plateau is Skyloft, Gerudo Desert is SS Lanayru, Faron/Neculda/BOTW Lanayru/Akkala is Faron Woods (Lake Hylia being the Sealed Grounds and the Spring of Power=Skyview Temple), and Eldin is Eldin. Ghirahim and Link land just outside of Skyloft, labeled the Forest of Time on the BOTW map

Link was _incredibly_ nauseous. He was stuck in a black world, eyes open but sightless, head spinning as he sank to the ground, trying to find solidity again.

_Oh, come now, it's not **that** bad._

The voice in his head only made it worse. 

Taking slow, deep breaths, Link clutched the grass as his vision started to return, fading back in as he fell on his side.

"A little warning next time would be _great_." He groaned, pulling himself back from almost passing out. "And get out of my head."

"You won't need a warning next, now that you know what it's like."

Taking Ghirahim's offered hand, Link stood back up, stabling himself on Ghirahim's arm when the world spun a little longer. If it could be avoided, he never wanted to teleport again.

"Is it like that _every_ time?"

Ghirahim scoffed, pushing Link's hand away. "You're overreacting."

"You're just used to it." Link glared back. Looking around, he took in the unfamiliar forest.

"Where are we?"

"Just outside of Faron woods. So, my aim was a little off. Not directly beneath your bedroom. We'll have to do a little walking to get where you want to go."

"You've been here before?" The overgrown path looked as if nothing had touched it for years. Even the areas Link had been to were inhabited to an extent, and there were clear pathways through the regions. This was a little more wild.

"As I told you, we are currently in the land once called Hyrule. It belonged to the chosen people of the goddess, her Hylians. Contrary to what it seems you're taught on your little island in the sky, Hylia did not control all the surface. Faron and Eldin and Lanayru all belonged to someone else, albeit they were allied with Hylia's people. Worshiped the same golden goddesses, but didn't submit to her rule."

Link peered through the trees. The branches here were less dense than the heart of Faron, and they seemed to be on the edge of a grassy plain a short walk ahead of them. Link felt unease, he didn't want to be out in the open for too long. Even the barren desert of Lanayru had structures dotting its landscape.

"So, what's down here?" Link asked Ghirahim, looking around for any sign of ancient life. It was strange to not see the bird statue he equated with travel to the surface.

"Mostly empty space. There were a few scattered towns hidden in the wilderness, likely wiped off the map by now. I'd say we're a day's walk away from—"

Ghirahim stopped suddenly. Behind Link, the brush was rustling, and he heard heavy footsteps on the forest path.

"Moblins. Two of them." The sword informed him, summoning a dagger. "Go for the one on the right, it already has a limp."

"Thanks for the concern, but I don't need to be babied." Link huffed, pulling out his own sword. "I could take down both of them without your help." 

He spotted them on the path, and was ready to go on and attack, but Ghirahim's chuckling stalled him.

"Be my guest then. Take down both of them at once. I'll watch." The demon said with a smirk, vanishing his weapon. "Try not to, and I don't say this often, get too much blood on my blade. Moblin blood is a pain to clean off." 

Rolling his eyes, Link charged forward. He was able to take the monsters by surprise, if only by a little. Aiming their spears, they went on the defensive.

Link swung the blade down with a cry. It sliced through one of the shields, cutting the corner off, but the second blow bounced off the other's. He had to sidestep away from a spear thrust.

Spinning around, he caught the one with a broken shield off guard. The blade sunk into its spear arm with a squelch, dark purple blood spewing out as he withdrew the sword.

_Gross. Watch your back._

He had a moment's notice to duck under the other spear, using the opportunity to stab the moblin's chest as it foolishly left it unguarded. Again, the blade sunk in deep, and Link pulled it out with a wince. 

"Stop speaking to me like that."

It was the middle of a battle, he didn't have time to think about these things, but the Master Sword didn't seem to draw so much blood. It was like the energy awarded by Hylia cauterized wounds, the glow more than just a pretty light. Ghirahim's sword was the opposite. It flashed red in the sun, and as Link was able to land another hit, he could feel the darkness emitting from both ends, blade and hilt. It felt as if the power was reaching into him, drawing its curse from its owner. The output dealt more damage than it should have.

Both moblins were down in only three hits a piece. As all monsters did, their bodies vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. Unfortunately, as Ghirahim had warned, the blood did not. 

Link breathed heavily, feeling the darkness within the sword ebb away considerably, but still there. He sheathed the weapon, turning away from the sickening puddle left on the path.

"Well done. I guess that wasn't _too_ bad." Ghirahim praised, embellishing his statement with a few sarcastic claps. "Do try to be a little more careful with how much power you put into the fight next time, I'd hate to waste all our energy on some _moblins_."

Link cocked his head. "I can control that?"

"Your spirit really did everything for you, didn't she?" Ghirahim sighed, stalking around Link to pull the blade from his back. "Yes, you can control it, and I expect you to do so. I'm not going to hold your hand, or, as you say, 'baby' you."

Flourishing the blade, Ghirahim vanished the dark bloodstains with a cloud of diamonds. 

"Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Ghirahim sneered at the pool of blood, "We are a day's walk from what used to be the main settlement. A town, a fortress, probably some dungeons for you to explore for whatever reason... If I'm correct, it will be fairly well preserved."

Link reached out for the sword. "Wait, go back. That... that energy, that magic or whatever that made the sword so powerful, I made that happen?" 

"Don't give yourself all the credit," Ghirahim laughed, handing him back the blade. "I am the main source. You're just channeling it."

"I still don't get it." Link murmured, staring at the blade. Ghirahim placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll learn. Time is the best teacher." Snapping out of Link's sight, Ghirahim popped back up a few meters down the path. 

"So! Adventure, exploring, finding whatever it is you're looking for that may or may not exist. Ready to begin?"

Link took one last look at the sword in his hand. The power flared with Ghirahim's enthusiasm, eating back into him. He sheathed it.

"Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

Link decidedly liked forests better than fields. Nice, mostly flat forests better than deceiving fields that were actually rolling hills, each as good as a mountain when he finally reached them. The sun was almost as bad as it was in the desert.

"How... how far do you think it is?" He panted, halfway down the steep incline that was only the first of many to come. He knew he was a little out of shape, not having to fight for his life every single day, but this was ridiculous. 

From on top of the hill, Ghirahim was staring out into the distance.

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

Jogging the rest of the way, Link caught up with him. He squinted in the sunlight, bringing his hand up to shield his eyes.

It was nothing like he had ever seen before. Hills of green, more green than even Faron, speckled with tiny dots of white, yellow, blue, any color of the rainbow. The grass was overgrown, almost up to his chest, fluttering softly in the wind. 

He finally understood why the chosen hero, a symbol of life in Hyrule, wore the color. 

Without the tree cover, the towering mountain range of Eldin volcano was visible, a deep blue against the backdrop of clear sky. In the distance, the spires of a forgotten castle jutted into the air. 

"I can't believe we never knew this was here." Link whispered in awe. "It's beautiful."

Next to him, Ghirahim shrugged. "Evidently not enough to fight for."

The sword turned away, back on the path, but Link kept staring out into the field. He bristled at Ghirahim's words. "What do you think everything I went through was for?"

"You didn't start out wanting to save the world. You would have been happy to get the girl and leave. Besides, I wasn't talking about _you_. It was Hylia who left this world to burn, sending her favoured into the sky."

"I didn't—goals can change, you know? When Hylia sent us to the sky, there wasn't anything worth fighting for anymore. _Your kind_ destroyed it. The reason I exist is to protect this place, and even if I didn't ask for it, I'm not going to—would you rather I _didn't?_ "

Ghirahim was already a ways down the path, and Link had to jog to catch up again. 

"It wasn't her place to 'protect' it anymore." He waved off, a steps ahead of Link. "Hylia forfeited her land when she sent her people to the sky in surrender. I call myself lord of the surface simply because there's no one left to rule it. Technically, you are encroaching on _my_ territory."

"Why do you care?" Link frowned, confused as to why he was even bringing this up. Ghirahim dismissively flipped his hair. 

"I don't. It's a title, nothing more. There's not much down here worth ruling, anyway. I didn't mind that, with Demise as king, he'd raze it all."

"So what changed?"

Ghirahim stopped.

"Well, nothing's changed, really, I don't care about the surface one bit," Ghirahim started to explain, flustered, "I just don't mind freedom from his rule, and there are _some_ things that I would miss were things different, you know, simple luxuries and such..."

Link giggled as Ghirahim floundered for an answer that wouldn't hurt his pride.

"And, honestly, where's the beauty in mindless destruction? Pain and suffering is an art, it should be drawn out with careful planning, you should see the hope leave your victims' eyes, the light fade as they cry out in agony, driven to madness as they know they've been defeated—"

"Ghirahim."

"Sorry." Sighing, he walked ahead of Link again. "The truth is, you ruined everything. I wasn't meant to care for any of Hylia's failures, much less a human. Demise never expected such a horrendous flaw."

Glancing back with a smile, Ghirahim slowed his pace. "I suppose that's what finally brought him down, wasn't it? I showed a poor, weak child some kindness, and it snowballed into him becoming the hero of legend. Should've killed you in Skyview temple, would have made things so much easier. Alas, I'm cursed with an over-abundance mercy."

"You don't have mercy." Link shoved him, laughing. "What's 'snowballed'?"

"You. You don't know what a snowball is?"

Link shook his head.

"It's—I don't even know where to being for you. You know what ice is, yes?"

"I mean, obviously. Clouds are made of ice crystals."

"No, not obviously, I have no idea what you've never encountered living in the sky." Ghirahim groaned. "Okay, it's like ice, but soft. Made of snow. Sometimes, when it's cold, instead of raining, it snows."

Link didn't follow. "Sounds weird. Why hasn't it—" Ghirahim silenced him. 

"I'll take you to the mountains sometime, but you keep getting us sidetracked! If you want to make it to the main settlement in less than a week, we'll have to cut through the field. It would be best to keep cover as long as we can, you'll be much too vulnerable out in the open, especially since you're so inexperienced using my blade."

Ghirahim pointed to a outcrop of rocks a short walk in the distance. "That may be the start of a main road. We can decide when we get there, but it will be the quickest, and most dangerous, path. It depends on how long you wish to remain here without returning to the sky. The farther we stray, the harder it will be to return quickly in the event of an emergency." 

Ushering Link back on the path, Ghirahim added, "It does make the process easier to know where I am and where I am going."

"You said you knew this place."

"I know _of_ it."

"Helpful."

"Better than where you are right now." Ghirahim teased, and Link couldn't help but smile. They continued on as he listened to more of Ghirahim's explanation.

* * *

The outcrop of rocks turned out to be what was left of town.

Link kicked a rock aside, what was left of a building. 

"I'm surprised this is still here."

He looked toward Ghirahim, who said nothing.

"A lot of the surface is surprisingly well preserved. It's been, what, ten thousand years since any humans were down here?"

"Give or take a few thousand years." Ghirahim muttered, still lost in thought. He looked distant.

Link looked around the moss covered ruins. It didn't seem like this had been of any importance in the past, but it was the first sign of real life he had seen. Sure, logistically he knew the temples and dungeons had to have been made by something, and given the familiar script scribbled across every pillar, it was most likely Hylians, but this was different. It wasn't temple dedicated to a goddess, grander than anything he had seen in his life, but a simple reminder that once, people lived here too. They had families, friends, jobs and hobbies just like on Skyloft. Link wondered if he would live to see the surface reborn with towns such as this one.

Ghirahim never left the path, avoiding stepping into the cracked foundations. He waited patiently for Link to stop looking around, mind wandering places Link couldn't even begin to fathom.

Link grew concerned. He was going to say something, try to get the demon to talk, but out of the corner of his eyes he saw something move.

Quickly, he drew the sword, startling Ghirahim, but nothing was there. The thin trees swayed in a gentle breeze, but that couldn't have been what he had seen. 

He wasn't sure, but the figure in the corner of his eye... he had seen it before. The dark shadow, shifting out of his vision when he turned to look at it, had been there in the forest the day before. He strained his ears, hoping to hear the sound of chimes again. 

Ghirahim broke his silence, wandering up to him cautiously. "Link, what are you—"

"There!" Link sped off, following the shadow again. It appeared for a second across a small lake, almost hidden between the crumbling walls of more abandoned buildings.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're— _Link!_ " Ghirahim called after him, but Link was already at the water's edge. Afraid he would miss the shadow if he took the long way around, he dove into the water.

"Oh, yes, it's a _great_ time to be going _swimming_ , not to mention dragging us in the wrong direction." Ghirahim snapped. When he saw he the blond head pop back up on the other side of the lake, he sighed and followed in a cloud of diamonds.

Link was scrambling up the rocks when Ghirahim appeared in front of him, almost causing him to fall back into the water.

"Care to explain what that was about?"

"Later, it may still be—" He panted, brushing Ghirahim aside as he frantically dashed through the ruins. 

"No, you're going to tell me what's wrong **now** , Skychild. I don't want to have to pin you down, but I will."

Link ignored him, despite the daggers Ghirahim summoned. On the other side of the lake, the clearest he had seen it, the shadow flickered in between the trees. A strong gust of wind blew through Link's hair, his hat having fallen off somewhere between the shore and the lake. He shivered in the cold, but did not make any sudden movements. The figure did not disappear.

"What do you want?" He called out to it, his voice the loudest it had been in years. 

"What—"

" _Shhh_." Link wasn't sure if that counted as an order, but Ghirahim obeyed anyway. 

The figure did not speak. Silently, it faded away, tiny bursts of light flickering out in the wind. Link felt that it was a direction.

"You saw that too. Tell me you saw that too."

Ghirahim placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to regain his attention.

"Saw what—Link, what is going on?"

Link sighed. Dropping to the ground, he sat on the rocks, still watching the forest ahead of them.

"There's this... shadow, spirit, figure, thing that's... not been following me, really I've been following it."

"Oh, that's smart. Just drop everything to chase after a _shadow_."

"Don't interrupt me." Link giggled, but sobered up quickly. "I think it's trying to tell me something.

"These things are often very dangerous, Link, why on earth would you follow something you had no clue of its origins, you've seen the affects of dark magic before." Ghirahim chastised him, sighing exasperatedly. 

Meekly, Link brushed the blade with his knuckles. "I thought it was you."

Saying it out loud made it worse. Link knew of the dangers of the surface, monsters reanimated by black magic, cursed medallions and rupees left by demons, _Ghirahim himself_. The fact that he had followed the figure thinking it could have been him was beyond reckless. It worried him more that he wasn't afraid. 

"It is what led me to you, though. It's trying to bring me somewhere, it has to be what keeps calling out to me from the surface. I don't know why but... I trust it?" 

"So we're making a detour to follow a potentially dangerous shadow. A brilliant idea." Ghirahim sighed, walking up behind Link. Playfully, he shoved the green hat he had retrieved down below Link's eyes, guiding him up to wrap an arm around him. "We have time, I suppose. And, honestly, what's the worst that can happen?"

Once Link had readjusted his hat, Ghirahim leaned down to kiss him. "You've already managed to corrupt your worst enemy. Try not to seduce this one."

* * *

Walking was boring. The sun was hot. Nothing worth mentioning appeared.

Link, safe to say, was _done_ with this part of the surface. Ghirahim seemed to agree.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"I'm just going in the direction it wanted me to. I don't know what's out there." Link shrugged. Even the plains of Lanayru had enemies to fight, this was just... empty. A grasshopper flew in front of them. How dangerous.

"It better be more interesting than this." The demon sighed, inspecting a mark on his glove. "So. We should talk. You've been seeing dark shapes in the corner of your eye, feeling pulled to the surface, fighting with your goddess—that's what intrigues me. Why doesn't she want to listen?"

 _You, probably,_ Link thought, but it had started before he found the sword. Zelda had dismissed his concerns of danger soon after she returned to Skyloft. The only time she had acknowledged the possibility was immediately after the final battle, when she said she knew about the curse and wasn't worried. 

"I think she wants it to be over. To move on. She thinks I'm paranoid, or actively looking to cause trouble. " 

Ghirahim hummed. "I wouldn't rule out the possibility she's hiding something. Your people are, let's face it, nowhere near prepared to relocate to the surface. Surely she could spare you long enough to indulge your desire for exploration?"

"It's not that... she's worried about me." Link argued, but Ghirahim was making valid points. Still, even if he was right he wasn't going to turn on Zelda and accuse her of maliciously keeping secrets. If she was hiding something, it was for a good reason. 

"Worried for your safety, or worried you'll find something you shouldn't?" 

Hylia had kept things from him in the past. Maybe Zelda wasn't consciously restricting him, but the part of her that clung to the past was. The pull to the surface didn't feel like the call to fight, but a question to answer. Link couldn't explain it, but he didn't think whatever was lurking down here was a new enemy. 

He suddenly remembered something.

"She gave me that book. If she didn't want me looking into it, why would she encourage me?"

"To keep you satisfied and misinformed." Ghirahim answered. "I wouldn't bother reading it, it's wrong."

"What? How do you know?" 

Ghirahim scoffed. "I read it. You left me alone for hours, Link, I had to find something to do."

"No, I don't care about that, how do you know it's wrong?" 

They were coming upon a large hill. Stopping Link with an outstretched arm, Ghirahim offered, "I can get us over this quickly."

"Don't distract me, how do you know the book's wrong?"

"I was there. That wasn't what happened. Hill? Yes? No?" Ghirahim snapped. Frustrated, Link forgot about his aversion to magical transport.

"Yes, I guess, but that's—what's wrong with it? Why is it so bad?"

"This is your warning." With that, Ghirahim reached out and grabbed his arm. Link was plunged into the black void again.

* * *

Link was coughing. It hadn't been as bad this time, but it still disoriented him.

"Is that what your shadow was leading you to?"

Ghirahim pointed towards another set of ruins, but Link thought that wasn't what he was really focusing on. A short distance away from the rubble, an odd stone hut jutted out from the ground.

"Could be. Let's go." Link motioned for him to follow, but Ghirahim stayed still. Turning back, Link raised an eyebrow in question.

"I may have... overexerted myself." Ghirahim said in a long breath, looking more tired than he normally did. "I think I should rest in the sword."

"So you hurt yourself just to avoid telling me something I'll find out about anyway." Link shook his head, laughing under his breath. He understood. It had already been a long day, and Ghirahim had just spent the last ten thousand years in a magical coma. Even the great lord of the surface wasn't at his best. 

He didn't disappear, evidently waiting for Link to do something. Link awkwardly shifted his balance, unsure what Ghirahim wanted.

"Which means," Ghirahim drew out with a wave of his hand, "if we wish to continue speaking, I will have to do so in a manner you seem to be against."

"Oh." Link nodded again, slowly realizing what that meant. He shuddered, thinking of the day before, but he had done nothing to upset the demon. It wouldn't be that bad. "I guess."

"You told me to 'stop speaking to you like that', Link, you have to lift the order if you wish to allow it again."

" _Oh_. I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Yeah, you can... do the thing... in my head..." Link cringed, not sure how to describe hearing something that wasn't physically there but was very much real.

"Telepathic communication is what it's generally called, Skychild." Ghirahim sighed, disappearing into the blade. Link felt it hum against his back, the chime echoing of the cliff wall.

_And it's really not as terrible as you make it out to be._

Wincing, Link continued walking forward. He hesitated, unsure if he had to speak out loud for Ghirahim to hear him or not.

_No, but it seems to make you feel better._

Gritting his teeth, Link marched on, feeling agitated at the new voice in his head.

"Okay, if this is going to work, you have to... not do _that_. Fi didn't."

_I am not Fi._

"Yeah, that's obvious," Link muttered, eyes set on the stone hut in the distance. "I don't like it, but the talking thing is important. The 'reading my mind' needs to stop, though."

_I'm not 'reading your mind', as you so eloquently say, you're projecting your thoughts and insecurities._

"I don't know how this works! I never thought it would be this hard!" Link groaned. As he said, Fi had never been this difficult, but he was worried it may not have been as simple as he thought. Maybe Fi _had_ been able to do this, and she was just better at ignoring it and respecting his privacy. Link blushed, thinking about all the things he may have accidentally told her. 

_Clearly, Hylia never expected you to actually learn how to make use of your sword. With that much power at your fingertips you would have been difficult to control had you known how to use it to its fullest..._

Ghirahim trailed off, but the sword chimed again a second later.

_Never mind that. You need to learn now._

The sword heated up on his back, and Link grew more anxious. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know how powerful (and dangerous) Ghirahim really was.

_Perhaps I was wrong before. Think of it not as a mirror, but as a hallway. On one end is your door. The other holds mine. Your door is wide open, and your emotions are spilling into our shared space. Close your door._

"Yeah. I'll think about it." Link dismissed the suggestion. "Right now we have other problems."

He was only a short distance from the hut now. Upon closer inspection, it looked more like a tent, deep brown stone carved with intricate patterns. The stone extended in front of it, creating a raised platform with a small pedestal near the wall. Link climbed onto the steps.

"This doesn't look like anything I've encountered before." 

Running his hand along the indents in the wall, Link searched for an opening. The strange material looked like a temple door, but there was no lock for a key. He tried to push it up, but it didn't budge.

 _It's Sheikah._

"How do you know?" Link grunted, still trying to open the door.

_The writing. I won't read it, but I recognize it. A shrine of some sort. You won't be getting into it with out their help._

"That's great, the only Sheikah I know is ten thousand years in the past." Link huffed, giving up on the door. 

_I don't believe this is what you're looking for. It says it's unfinished. A prototype, not ready yet._

"You said you couldn't read it." Link accused him.

_I said I won't. There's a difference. Now, do you really think this is what you were being led towards? Does it **feel** like you're meant to be here?_

Even without a real voice, Ghirahim was painfully condescending. Link felt incredibly stupid when he responded with "no".

_Then leave it be. It's getting dark, you're going to want to find a safe place to spend the night._

Distracted by the prospect of another night on the surface, Link gave up. Ghirahim was right.

* * *

Back in the nearby ruins, Link sank against a wall with the most remaining ceiling overhead. The world around him shined in a golden glow. Now that they were resting, Ghirahim appeared from the blade with a chime. 

Link dug around in his pouch for a red potion. He had found that while they weren't particularly appetizing, they could stand in for a meal or two if needed when he was traveling. Pulling out two bottles, he offered one to Ghirahim.

"I wasn't sure how long we'd be down here, or if there's anything edible in this region." Pausing, he cocked his head to the side, a question suddenly crossing his mind. "Do you even need to eat?"

"I siphon energy from the blood of my victims."

Link froze.

"I'm _kidding_. I don't need to, but it helps."

"Food or blood?"

"Both." Ghirahim said with a wicked grin. "Keep your potion, as you said we don't know how long we'll be down here. I'll be fine."

Shrugging, Link returned one of the potions to his pouch. He downed the other with a grimace, the bitter taste not hidden by the fake fruity flavour. With a deep sigh, he turned to Ghirahim.

"We need to talk about a lot of things. One, what was in the book?"

"Later."

"Okay..." Link trailed off, not wanting to argue. "Then, two, why wouldn't you read the shrine?"

"Too complicated to explain."

"Fine. How do I use the sword."

"In what way? I would think you have a fairly good grasp on the mechanics by now."

Pulling the blade from the sheath, Link worried his lip as he watched the light shine on the metal.

"Earlier, with the moblins, you said something about using to much energy. That **I** was using too much energy." He didn't feel it now, but he knew the darkness was there, just under the surface. Ghirahim stirred next to him, standing up and meaning for Link to follow.

"I think the best way to explain this is to show you."

Following him into the clearing between the falling walls, Link stood awkwardly as Ghirahim positioned him so the sword was outstretched. Close enough for shallow breaths to ruffle his hair, Link fidgeted under his overbearing presence.

"You say you feel it reaching into you. Latch onto it. Pull it where you want it to go. Are you drawing your power from your emotions? Your physical strength? Picture it clearly." Ghirahim drew his hand up Link's arm, the coolness making him shiver despite several layers of clothing. "Do you know where your will to fight is coming from?"

Link's first thought was his heart, but he hesitated. He didn't want to allow the dark energy anywhere near it.

Lying to himself, he settled on his stomach, where he felt the warm feeling from laughing with friends or tumbling through the sky, reasons he fought in the first place.

"Yeah."

"Do not block it off. You want a gate, not a wall. Let the power in, but do not let it consume you. You, ultimately, are the one in control."

Link shut his eyes. Holding the blade up, he imagined the energy he felt as a real, moving actuality, like the black cracks that spread across Ghirahim's body. Drawing up his veins, searching for something within him. He let it.

Somewhere past his shoulders he panicked. The thought of it blackening his heart crossed his mind, and he bore down on the power, forcing it down while imagining locking away his heart and any feeling that came from it. The sword jerked in his hand, and out shot a disk of red light, slicing across the grass and singeing the edges. It connected with an already crumbling wall, the remaining stone shattered into dust.

Immediately Link shut himself off. It was all he could do to not drop the sword. 

Ghirahim released the hold on his arm.

"It's a start."

Distancing himself from the other, Link tried to calm his racing heart. The sword looked dull as he sheathed it quickly, pulling the belt from his body and setting it aside. "That's enough for today." Drawing in deep breaths, Link shook from excess adrenaline. "Why... why does it do that?" 

"For one, I think you're taking this too literally." Ghirahim remarked, looking distinctly bored. "It's not as if you're catching lightning and streaming it through the blade."

Link pushed back painful memories. He hated to be reminded of the battle.

"I'm just giving you suggestions for how to control it. Ultimately, you are the one who decides how powerful we are, _master_."

Link hummed softly in discomfort. The way Ghirahim twisted the word, coating it as a sweet, poisonous promise was a new dynamic he hadn't expected. Link may wield the sword, but he was far from in control. Stomach twisting in knots, he smiled nervously as Ghirahim stalked forward. He couldn't tell if the fluttering in his chest was a good thing.

"Perhaps you just need to find a different outlet." Backing Link against the wall, Ghirahim leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Your frustration hinders your efforts. You need to learn to let go of these insecurities if you wish to succeed." 

Link gasped under Ghirahim's harsh touch, going limp as he threw his arms around the demon's neck. Succumbing to his desires, Link felt the worries of swords and shadows slip away.

Once again, he allowed the fantasy in his head take over, ignoring the secrets kept by goddesses and demons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1.) I think red potions taste like cherry cough syrup and (2.) As an archaeologist every time I write "10,000 years ago" about the ruins/dungeons I die inside (honestly I don't know where I got that number??? The game just says "thousands of years")


	4. Second Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faced with a choice, Link must decide between getting answers or repairing friendships.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trying to do research for this while being attacked by BOTW guardians and the master sword breaks is FUN
> 
> Also, Link probably has PTSD from Skyward Sword but I don't know enough about that to say that's my intent writing him

The morning air was chilly when Link blinked open his eyes. Ignoring the tapping against his shoulder, he pulled himself tighter to the body next to him, curling in on himself to preserve warmth.

"Link... Link, wake up."

"Yeah, yeah, 'm awake," he yawned, though he closed his eyes again. He protested as the other began to untangle their limbs.

"Can't we just... five more minutes, I won't fall back asleep, I promise." He whined, tugging on the demon's shirt. Ghirahim laughed, but sat up anyway, taking hold of Link's grabby hands. With another noise of complaint, Link finally opened his eyes for good, face scrunched up at not getting his way. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he remembered this was not his bedroom, lying on hard ground instead of a mattress, and the material covering him was not his blankets but Ghirahim's cape. 

"You do realize how vulnerable you are right now?" Ghirahim whispered, tugging him up to his lap. "No sword, barely conscious, no tools to speak of, not to mention clothing. . ."

"Whose fault is that..." Link murmured, snuggling closer into the cape. He couldn't get over how soft it was, and now noticed the faint smoky scent, like being outside the bazaar on days when the scrap shop forge was in full blast. Like singed metal, and maybe some of the trees that only grew on the surface. He inhaled deeply.

"I would hate for some wandering enemy to pass by and find you like this... practically gift wrapped. . ."

With a snort, Link stretched his arms over his head, biting back a yawn. Ghirahim took the chance to claw at his exposed sides, grinning wickedly.

"It's a good thing there's someone watching over me. It comes with a price, doesn't it?" Link teased, swatting away the other's hands as they wandered.

"Are you willing to pay?"

Laughing, Link leaned back, feeling his spine crack as he sank to the ground. "Take whatever you want... though I don't have much to give."

"Oh, I disagree," Ghirahim gazed down at him with the dark look in his eye, grip harsher on Link's thighs now, "I think you can give me exactly what I want."

* * *

They lost most of the early morning, which meant it was almost midday when Link finally gathered his scattered belongings as Ghirahim taunted him. His sour attitude was met with more mocking (and kisses). 

"We've already wasted the better part of the day, hurry up." Hugging the knight's outfit to his chest, Link felt his face flush. "There was a lake a ways back. Can you just teleport us there and back before we go?"

Ghirahim hopped up from his perch on the ruin wall. 

"You want to backtrack? Why?" Though he feigned ignorance, Link could see the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"I'm not walking the whole way there with your—" Link awkwardly waved his hand towards Ghirahim, furiously blushing now, "up my ass, thanks."

"I thought you liked my—"

"Can you or can you not!" Link shouted, cutting Ghirahim off. The sword stalked closer, confident as ever, and slipped a hand around Link's waist.

"Let's go then." Link was scooped up and the world turned to black.

And then he was unceremoniously dropped in the lake. 

Glaring at Ghirahim, who had only appeared for a second to drop him and was now setting his things down on the closest shore, Link brushed his wet bangs out of his face. The water was still cold despite having several hours of sun to warm it up. 

"Mind if I join you?"

Link jumped when Ghirahim appeared behind him, chin tucked over his shoulder. Splashing the demon as he kicked away, Link did his best not to swallow the lake water from laughing. Turning back, he righted himself as his feet brushed against the lake bed. 

Link felt time slow around him. Water droplets caught the light as they splashed off Ghirahim's hair, his smile bright and genuine, free of any earlier mocking. His eyes were closed, head thrown back with laughter, looking as beautiful as he had so many months ago when they tried to forget about fate for a night.

His heart shattered. It felt _wrong_. Link didn't deserve this happiness, having run away from his problems to chase after a dream. The weight of the past two days came crashing down on him. 

Ghirahim was quick to notice his change of aura. Concerned, he reached out for Link, taking his hand.

"Something's wrong." He observed, pulling him closer. Link didn't speak, unsure of what to say. They had come so far from enemies on different sides of a war, but was it far enough? He brushed his fingers over Ghirahim's collar bones, staring at the spot where, in his spirit form, a shattered gem laid hidden. Even after thousands of years, the damage was done. 

He had only seen the gem twice. Once, when they were seconds away from killing each other, when he had broken it until the sword bled, the intent to finally be rid of him real. For Link, it had been a few months, but for Ghirahim, it was millennia later when he saw the diamond for a second time. It was only for a moment before he was back in the familiar demon form, but the glow still showing through the cracks was burned into Link's mind. Just as Link would never truly trust Ghirahim around his friends, Ghirahim could justifiably never feel safe enough to show such a vulnerable part of himself, even if Link was the master of his sword.

It was as if the guilt was suffocating him. They had hurt each other beyond repair.

"I still feel like this is a mistake. I don't... I don't think I can ever get over the feeling of betraying my duty to the goddess for you." 

Tucking his head against the other's shoulder, Link shivered with the coldness of the lake water. He felt trapped, stuck in a vast unknown land at the mercy of a demon he could never hope to control. Maybe Zelda had been right.

"If it makes you feel any better, I have also had doubts." Ghirahim sighed, rubbing Link's shoulders gently. "Waiting within my sword may be equitable to a deep sleep, but I did still have consciousness. It took time to understand Demise's defeat was not my failure, but your victory. And such, I am not giving myself to you in surrender or betrayal, but because you are worth fighting for. You are more than anything Demise could have ever given me. Your role in this was not just as a pawn to a god, Link." Pressing a kiss to his head, Ghirahim whispered, "You are so much more than that, and I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner."

Link felt his breath quicken and heart pound in his chest as soon as the words left Ghirahim's mouth. It was more than he could take, the vulnerability of the situation eating away at him, his mind being filled with cloudy, panicked thoughts as shivers racked his body, despite being pressed up against Ghirahim so close he could barely move. It was like being caught in the choking smoke of a volcanic eruption again, pinned beneath a searing holy blade that was only ever meant to destroy him and his—

Wait. 

"You're doing it again, aren't you." Link whispered, trying to breath and calm his racing heart.

"Doing what exactly?"

"The thing with... never mind."

Remembering what Ghirahim had taught him, Link imagined blocking himself off from the other. Deep breaths. The sick feeling in his stomach subsided.

They could discuss this later.

"I know. She can't tell me what to do anymore, but I'm still her friend. I reacted badly."

Still tucked under Ghirahim's chin, Link didn't see the demon roll his eyes.

"Forget about that. You're not here to spite her, you're here for yourself. You gave all you had to and more, it's time for you to take what you deserve."

"I guess you're right."

* * *

Link was quiet when they warped back to the edge of the ruins. Hyrule Field was laid out before them, and it was time for him to make a choice. 

Ignoring Ghirahim as they stood at the line where the grass grew taller, Link wasn't convinced he should continue. It shouldn't have taken more than a day to get to the crumbling fortress in the distance, but that was another day spent off Skyloft. If his friends were looking for him, they wouldn't even know where to begin. 

Not to mention it would be another two days of travel back to a statue to return to the sky. Distantly, Link wondered if Eldin was closer. He raised his hand to make sure his Fireshield Earrings were still there. 

"Would you prefer to go by way of those trees or the grasslands?" Ghirahim drawled, unaware of Link's inner hesitance. "There was a road back that way, but at this point it's better to move forward."

Nodding, Link started walking forward. Over the hill was another broken town, more scattered foundations left to fade with time. "Why don't we try for the field now, if we can make it to the next ruins without too much trouble we can see where to go from there." 

Link took off down the hill, not waiting for an answer, afraid that any argument would make him change his mind entirely and turn back to the sky. If he could make it to the remains of the castle, maybe find something leftover from the Era of the Goddess to answer his questions, he'd leave happy. It would be a very long time before he would be allowed down to the surface again, and Zelda wouldn't be the only one enforcing it. What had she said to keep everyone from worrying?

 _Don't think about it_.

He wasn't sure which one of them thought that.

Ghirahim didn't try to force conversation on Link as they trekked through the tall grass. Link could tell there was something the sword wanted to talk about, like an itch under his skin dividing his attention for sole control of his thoughts, but Link really wasn't up for an argument now. He too had so much to ask, about the Sheikah writing, the book, the power in the blade, but he kept his mouth shut.

There were no major threats in the grass. A few bugs popping out and startling Link, some strange flowers that he had never seen before, dust in the wind. It wasn't as bad as Link's mind had feared.

The only enemy were several small chus blocking their path, the common blue kind he was used to on Skyloft.

Link drew the sword, ready to take them out with two swipes, but Ghirahim held his hand back.

"Wait. Try using the sword like you did last night."

"I thought you didn't want to waste energy on little things!" 

"Yes, but they're good practice, and they're not going to kill you if you make a mistake." 

Disguising his fear as annoyance, Link took a deep breath and held the sword in front of him, aiming it like he was about to make a skyward strike. He opened himself to the power, the darkness seeping in from the handle, letting it flow through him. Focused on the enemy, Link lashed out, letting a disk of light cut through the grass. 

On impact, the chu exploded with enough force to knock the other back. Ghirahim dispatched of it with a quick dagger.

"That was better." He remarked, somewhat surprised. Sheathing his sword, Link smiled weakly.

"Really?"

"Well, did seem more controlled." Ghirahim praised. "Yet, it was weaker, and I don't believe you meant for it to be."

Link shrunk back under his scrutinizing gaze. Ghirahim scoffed, crossing his arms.

"You're scared of it."

"No!" Link denied, but it was the truth. "They were just chuchus. I didn't need to go full out 'demon lord of the surface, fury outrage anger' on them." 

Ghirahim raised a brow in amusement. "Whatever you say."

Link turned away from him, avoiding the splattered remains of jelly, to hide his embarrassment. He was terrified of the energy held within the blade, but to give Ghirahim that power over him was worse. He would capitalize on any fear Link showed, and manipulate him into loosing control. 

"Hey, there's a goddess chest up there!" Link quickly changed the subject, pointing at the ruins ahead. "I thought I had gotten all of those!" 

Taking off before Ghirahim could stop him, Link left the topic for another day. 

"Is this something you do often? Chase after every little whim that distracts you?" Ghirahim groaned, watching Link flail as he tried to climb the ruins. "It's a wonder you ever completed any task given to you."

Shaking his head, Ghirahim teleported to the top of the ruin to help pull Link up. "Don't chastise me for changing the subject ever again."

Link rolled his eyes and pushed the demon out of the way. Kicking open the chest, he shielded his eyes from the light within and smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

He reached in, but his smile dropped at what he found. A silver rupee. 

"That's not a good sign..." Link mumbled, watching the glittering gem with wariness,"These usually mean the area is dangerous."

"Ah, so she left you incentives to keep fighting." Ghirahim said sarcastically. "At least you can rest easy knowing your goddess meant for you to be here."

 _Did she?,_ Link thought, but he didn't have time voice his concerns. A loud roar echoed from deep within the maze of rubble.

"Lizalfos. Strange, this isn't their natural habitat." Ghirahim reported, looking out across the town. Link heard a chime from the sword. "I know you want to prove you can fight for yourself, but there's three of them, possibly more, and they appear to be the dark variant. Let me help you." 

"Or we could just avoid them..." Link offered, but Ghirahim had already jumped from the platform. Drawing his sword, Link slid down the wall as he caught up with Ghirahim. He anxiously tapped his fingers against the hilt.

"You've fought these before, yes?"

"Yeah, but not many. I don't remember what Fi told me to do."

Summoning a dagger, Ghirahim stopped Link from rounding a corner. "I may not be a walking encyclopedia like your old sword, but I am still a _sword_. Do not doubt my ability to guide you in battle, master. Just do as I say." With a sharp grin, Ghirahim flicked his wrist, the blades multiplying. They hovered just above his palm. 

"This should be interesting."

The demon waltzed around the corner with a cackling laugh. Link had to take a moment to remember Ghirahim was on his side.

_Come on out now, Link, it's time to play._

Gritting his teeth, Link rolled from behind the wall. Ghirahim was already in full swing, the floating daggers locked onto their targets as he sent them flying. He made it look effortless, sending the blades deep into the monster's skulls with a snap of his fingers. The click echoed off the stones.

Link took a fighting stance. Ghirahim was dealing with two of his own, leaving the third for him. It was separated from the group, growling as it tried to rip away a dagger pinning its arm to the ground. Link couldn't attack without getting hit by the monster's flailing tail, so he held his ground as it leapt up. Taunting the lizalfos to attack first, he raised his shield.

_When it gets close enough, hit it with a shield bash. Knock it off balance._

Link almost snapped at Ghirahim to get out of his head, but he suppressed his anger. This was necessary, it wasn't any different than Fi telling him how to fight. He raised his sword.

A screech to his left distracted him, and in the moment he took to turn his head, the creature attacked. Taken off guard, Link barely dodged the spiked tail that came down by his arm, the lizalfos jumping out of range again.

_Don't get distracted! You know I have this covered, focus on your own._

Snarling, Link ignored Ghirahim's earlier advice and lunged for the lizalfos. His sword connected with the monster's gauntlet, sending Link reeling back, but its defense was down. Striking with his shield as Ghirahim advised, Link sent it flying. 

The final blow was easy. He could do those. What made it harder was the flash of red from the sword, drawing power from deep within him, a distraction as he brought the blade down. He missed, and instead of hitting the lizalfos in the chest, the sword connected with the ground by its head. A burst of energy shot from the blade, red sparks splitting from the metal as darkness poured out. The lizalfos screeched in agony.

Link thought he was going to be sick.

Fatal blows left clean strikes and the bodies faded with minimal damage. He could feel justified in cleanly dispatching the forces of evil with the Master Sword, taking lives with minimal suffering. 

It seemed all of Ghirahim's extravagant threats were not just said out of anger.

The flash from the sword did not harm Link, but it left the enemy beneath him thrashing as it burned away scales and skin, horrible screams echoing in his ears. Link wrenched the sword from the ground, driving it down into the monster's throat to end this, the blood splatter far stronger than it should have been.

Just as with the moblins, the body evaporated, the blood did not. 

_That's one way to do it._

Link was shaking as the voice rang through his head and through the ruins, both inside and out. It was nowhere near horrified, rather _amused_ in fact, happily chuckling as the demon sent another dagger flying. Link looked over in time to watch Ghirahim snap a final blade into one lizalfos, taking out the other with a rush of his sword. 

He turned away. The blood from the one he killed was still on the ground, his hands, staining his clothes. It smeared as he wiped it off his face.

He hadn't even noticed the normally silver diamond glowing red.

"See? Not so bad." Ghirahim began as he walked toward Link, his own rapier still drawn. The suffocating heat of Eldin and glowing embers of the Fire Sanctuary flashed by Link's vision, gone the next moment. "Again, you could do to control the flow of energy better, but this time was much—"

Ghirahim was cut off by a shrieking howl from above them. Whipping around, they saw a fourth dark lizalfos on the nearby wall, spewing its cursed smoke across the ground.

Ghirahim waved it away easily, but Link was not so lucky. The purple cloud left him unable to wield his sword, useless in his hand, as the monster leapt from the wall.

"I'll take care of—" Ghirahim began, but Link didn't give him a chance to finish. Sprinting from the ruins, he called back, "Ghirahim, in the sword, _now!_ "

The spirit disappeared into a flash of diamonds with a murderous look on his face.

* * *

The next few hours were spent in silence as Link walked through the field alone. It was almost like being back on his mission with Fi, but the sword he carried on his back weighed heavier on his body and mind. His limbs still felt weak from the cursed breath of the lizalfos, the nausea from his guilt kept sending him veering off course, and he hadn't managed to calm the shaking. The burst from the sword flashed in his mind. He couldn't bring himself to draw the blade and clean off the blood.

Link waited longer than he needed to before he called Ghirahim back out. The sun was low in the sky, not yet sunset, when he came across a grove of trees a short distance from the outer wall of the fortress. Sinking beneath the shade of one, he pulled out the blade. 

"I'm sorry. You can... come out now."

Nothing happened. Link sighed, hugging his knees to his chest.

"It wasn't worth it. We spent too much time getting sidetracked already."

When there was still no response, Link threw his arms up in frustration.

"Look, sometimes running away is the best course of action, okay? The path of least resistance?"

_That's not a very courageous mindset, hero._

"It's not out of fear!" Link defended. "It's about knowing when enough is enough!"

_I thought you wanted monsters like me dead._

"Not by killing them your way!" Link cried out, the dying screams haunting his mind. "Nothing deserves to be _tortured_!"

The chime caught him off guard, and next thing Link knew he was pinned to the tree with a hand around his neck. Surprised, he found himself clamming up and unable to speak, his tongue clumsy and stuck as he helplessly tried to form the order to release him.

"Is that really what you think, chosen one?" Ghirahim snarled, black spiderwebs creeping across his face. The hand tightened slightly. "Did your goddess tell you that? Did she believe the 'path of least resistance' would cause no suffering when she abandoned _everything_ , leaving all but her precious Hylians to die by the creatures you're too scared to kill?"

Withdrawing his hand, Ghirahim disappeared in a cloud of diamonds, Link coughing as the demon popped back up a few trees away. His voice dropped low, anger swinging from violent outburst to dangerous coldness that Link had learned to avoid at all cost.

"You never cared about slaughtering my armies before, don't lie and say you've suddenly had a change of heart. You were **scared**." His mirthless laughter was accompanied by a toss of his head, actions so similar to the precursor battle monologues. "Keep running away, skychild. You're very good at it."

Though saying the truth out loud hurt Link, he knew Ghirahim was right. But this... this hadn't been running away like he was from an uncomfortable conversation with Zelda, this was stopping that horrible darkness Ghirahim's sword brought from mercilessly mutilating a victim. The forces once loyal to Demise had to die, yes, but Link was not so cruel that he **enjoyed** it.

"I'm not..." He began to say, but cut himself off with a groan. "What's the matter with you? This can't be about the lizalfos, come on, you're better than that."

Pushing himself up from the ground, Link cautiously approached Ghirahim. "There's something deeper. You've been on edge since we got down here."

"I don't understand how you can be so _naive_."Ghirahim snapped, shoving off Link's hand from his shoulder. "You think everything you do is morally right, dictated by the will of a perfect goddess so therefore you can never be the one in the wrong! I thought distancing yourself from her would show you it's not that simple, but even now you justify and condemn your actions based on the idea that Hylia and her precious hero can do no evil!"

"That's not at all what I think!" Link yelled back, fists clenched in frustration, "I think it's safe to say the fact I'm even down here is a major 'fuck you' to both Hylia and my best friend, it's selfish and wrong and I'm still doing it! It's not a fucking problem of knowing if it's good or bad to _not enjoy murder_!"

"No, Link, that's exactly what I mean!" Ghirahim had whipped around to pin him to the tree again. "It's _okay_ to be selfish sometimes. It's not **wrong** for you to want things for yourself, Hylia's hero or not. Not everything is about _her_ , stop acting as if she's the highest authority on ethics. She's as mortal as you are now anyway!" Chuckling darkly, Ghirahim leaned in closer. Link backed himself up further against the rough bark, the strange sense of déjà vu distracting him from being afraid. 

"What's wrong with me? You want to know what happened? Hylia turned out to not be as perfect as she claimed. She has more blood on her hands than Demise could ever dream of." 

Releasing Link from his hold, Ghirahim stepped back. The tension dropped from Link's shoulders, going limp with only the tree holding him up, as he stared at Ghirahim with wide eyes.

"What..."

"Did she ever tell you how sword spirits are made?" 

Link shook his head. 

"It's not a pleasant process." Picking up his blade from the ground, Ghirahim held it out, cleaning the blood off with a wave of diamonds. "I will spare you the gory details."

The sword fell to Ghirahim's side. "I shouldn't blame you for this. It's not your fault. She took your memory and kept her own, refusing to tell you the truth. I should start at the beginning."

Link watched the black cracks fade from Ghirahim's skin as he turned back. Driving the sword into the ground, Ghirahim returned to Link, having calmed down considerably. 

"As adorable as your confusion looks, I don't believe this should come as a surprise to you." Placing a hand under his chin, Ghirahim ordered, "Sit down. I don't want you to hurt yourself further."

Sinking to the grass, Link obeyed. He watched warily as Ghirahim followed, gently brushing his thumb of the back of Link's hand.

"I didn't wish to cause you anymore turmoil," Ghirahim sighed, still soothing Link, "so I avoided the topic. You know so little about what you were born to do, and why. I'm not upset with you, but at what you've been put through. How you've been lied to." 

Link's breath quickened. He wanted to know more, he _needed_ to know more about this, it had been a constant question eating away at his mind since the day Fi appeared to him. Yet, as Ghirahim was saying, the answers could tear him apart more than any wound.

"The history you are taught leaves out the terrible things she did. Hylia knew she couldn't defeat Demise without casualties, and her plan to save her favorites came at the expense of so many others. You were taught Hylians were the only people living here, yes?"

"Yeah..."

"Can't you see that was a lie now? Simpler life forms, yes, the Gorons and Kikwis and dragons... why do you think none of the robots remain? There were others as well, tribes that were more technologically advanced than the Hylians. Most notably the Sheikah, the race sworn to defend her. She abandoned them without thanks."

Link didn't know how to process this. He had never considered how life survived on the surface, just accepting it as a part of the landscape. The monsters and demons, he knew of, but the others... maybe he had marked them off as evolving sometime after the destruction. Maybe he knew all along. 

"I didn't know..."

"Of course you didn't. The Sheikah were too proud to admit Hylia didn't favour them. They would rather be erased from history than admit they were tossed aside like scraps."

Cupping his cheek, Ghirahim raised Link's face towards him. He was smiling, albeit sadly, and looked for all the world _sympathetic_. It was strange coming from him.

Link took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Avoiding looking straight at him, Link fiddled with the straps on his sword belt.

"Is that what was on the shrine? What the book said?"

"It was more what it didn't." Ghirahim dismissed, but Link felt there was something more. Sighing, the sword stood up, holding out a hand for Link to follow.

"You know she hides things, Link. You said so yourself, Hylia used your fated friendship with the spirit maiden for her plans. Would she have even been friends with you if not for the part of the goddess inside of her?" 

Link froze. He had never thought of that before. Now was not the time. Taking Ghirahim's hand, he shakily stood up, realizing now how a full day of walking on a mostly empty stomach was affecting him.

"Ready to move on? We can avoid enemies if that's what you wish, I suppose. You'll never get better at using the sword, though."

Shaking his head, Link looked around the forest. "I need to rest a little longer. Though, the wall is really close... Would it be safer to stay there for the night?"

Shrugging, Ghirahim turned to leave. "Your choice. You are more likely to find something edible among these plants if that will help, except..."

"What?"

"Perhaps that is not such a good idea. I do not remember what is safe for Hylians and what will kill you, and I doubt you have any better idea. Some have, hm, interesting properties I would be delighted to experiment with, but now is not the time." Kicking a bright green mushroom, Ghirahim turned back to Link. 

"Night is falling, and it is best to not be in the liminal space when it does. Are we staying here or continuing on?"

Link looked out to the wall. It looked only an hour's walk at most, but by then, it could be dark. Neither knew what lied on the other side. He did feel it would be best to stay here.

Movement across the top of the wall caught his eye. The black shape stood still in the golden light, flickering behind a crumbling parapet in the shadow of a tower. The silhouette disappeared, beckoning him forward. He almost mentioned it to Ghirahim, but thought better.

"I think... I think we can make a little more distance. It's only a little farther."

* * *

They were by the tall stones only half an hour later. Link was glad to have not run into any enemies on the walk over, he was out of breath and felt he could barely hold a sword.

"Well, this is it." Ghirahim gestured to the wall, a sweeping motion ending pointing at what may have once been a gate. Two bird statues flanked the entrance. "You could return to the sky for the night, if you wished."

Link closed his eyes. Everything was spinning, his head hurt, his mouth was dry. It felt like there was lead running through his veins.

"Yeah, yeah maybe that would be...." He leaned against Ghirahim. His breath was coming out on short pants now, making it hard for him to speak.

"Link?"

The world was fading.

"Link!"

He just needed to lie down. 

"Link. . ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write a chapter that doesn't end in sleep/passing out challenge, amirite????
> 
> Sorry for another fade-to-black smut there at the beginning, but I keep feeling like adding a scene will disrupt the flow of the story??? I plan for at least one that's important to the plot or whatever, but right now it'll stay heavily implied
> 
> I hope to go back later and write the ones I copped out of, though, as a companion fic or something


	5. Coming Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link faces the consequences of his rash decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Hey you, you're finally awake~~
> 
> Kind of a short chapter, I had a rough time of moving back to campus and wanted to get something out this week at least

Link was rudely awakened by birds squawking nearby. Immediately he was hit with a wave of nausea, his head pounding and stomach protesting as he rolled over to avoid the light. In the back of his mind he registered the faint voices whispering in short, harsh phrases.

The bed next to him dipped, and he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. 

"Link. Please wake up, sleepyhead." A soft voice coaxed him, a hand pressing a cool towel on his forehead. Blearily, Link opened his eyes to see Zelda smiling over him, trying and failing to hide the worry on her face. 

"What..." He began to ask, but the words caught in his throat as he gagged. It led to a coughing fit, and Link clutched his ribs as sharp pains wracked his body. He felt like he was dying.

"You're home. You're safe now, please rest. We can explain later, okay?"

When the coughing subsided, Link let his head fall limply back on the pillow. He caught sight of Ghirahim lounging on the desk chair, head rested on his hand as he watched Link and Zelda with a worried expression. When he noticed Link looking, his worry dropped, turning away to fake disinterest.

Confused, Link tried to sit up, but Zelda pressed a hand to his chest.

"You'll hurt yourself. I just need you awake so you can drink this, then you can go back to sleep. I know you want to." She giggled, raising a bottle to his lips. Link accepted the tasteless potion, but he still had a thousand questions running through his head. Zelda waited until he finished drinking the whole thing before forcing another on him, not leaving him time to speak.

"You really scared us, Link." Her voice was a whisper, shaking as she petted his hair with the towel. "I thought... for a moment there. . ."

Zelda took a deep breath. Link could see her eyes were glossy with tears, but they didn't fall. 

"Don't ever do that to me again."

She leaned down, pressed a kiss to his forehead. Link heard a sharp intake of breath from Ghirahim, and then the potion took affect, reality becoming blurry around him. He let sleep overtake him once more.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Link started to feel better. 

He had been drifting in and out of consciousness for most of it, catching the tail end of hushed conversations and nodding off before he could ask for an explanation. Zelda was a constant, sitting right near his bed and watching over him, save for one exception Link wasn't even positive he didn't dream. He had thought he felt Ghirahim squeeze his hand and murmur an apology, looking damn near about to _cry_ , but Link couldn't be sure with how muddy his head still felt. 

It was dark outside, the window cracked open a finger's length yet no light shined on the ground. Sitting up, Link took inventory of his injuries. He would have thought he would have known about any external wounds, and didn't feel any restricting bandages, but his body felt like he had jumped to the surface without a sailcloth. The confusion and dizziness had died down, but every movement still felt delayed and slow, his cloudy mind having trouble controlling his body. 

"Awake for good this time?"

Link turned to the sound of the voice, having trouble connecting it with a face. Ghirahim scoffed lightly, reaching out to push his hair back.

"If you're even awake. If you wanted sleep so much, there are better ways to go about getting it." 

Link let out a breathy laugh. "Sorry. I'll be up all night now. Good thing I was only out for a day."

Ghirahim's smile fell.

"Link, it's been a _week_."

Eyes widening, Link stared at him in shock. The few memories he had couldn't have been stretched out over the course of a week, could they? The last clear memory he had was on the surface, all he had been was tired. Hunger and dehydration could have led him to passing out, but for a _whole week?_ What was wrong with him?

Ghirahim placed a finger under his chin to close his gaping mouth.

"You had a terrible fever," he explained, "when I brought you back. One of your friends—don't ask me which, I don't know any don't care to learn—thought you were only dehydrated, but the fever would not break. When it finally did, it came back soon after, even worse. No one knew what was wrong with you."

Link balled the blanket in his fists. "But you do now?"

"Your goddess friend thinks she has it figured out. I promised I'd inform her when you woke, I suppose I should go fetch her." Ghirahim glanced at the door. "You'll be fine for a minute?"

Link nodded slowly. "I think so."

"Don't pass out on me again. I'll be right back."

Link watched the diamonds fade as Ghirahim left. The room was quiet, the creaky sounds of the academy at night familiar white noise he didn't notice anymore. He glanced around, not seeing much difference, just a few empty potion bottles scattered on his desk. A second chair had been moved to his room, and Link recognized one of Zelda's pillows resting on it. He felt guilty at how much they must have worried, seriously hoping they had found time to actually take care of themselves while he was out. 

The chime of Ghirahim returning filled the room. Link looked to the door for Zelda.

"She'll be here in a moment. Had to grab something for you."

Link hummed in answer. He sat in an uncomfortable silence, unsure of what to say next. 

"So... you and Zelda seem to be... uh... friendly."

Ghirahim's short bark of laughter startled Link. 

"I wouldn't say 'friendly', but yes, the spirit maiden and I have been civil towards each other." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Differences tend to get put aside when someone you care about gets hurt."

Link smiled back. "I'm just glad you haven't tried to kill each other."

"Been there, done that, didn't exactly go as planned." Ghirahim shrugged, still grinning. "She's a nice girl, if a little overbearing... Her Grace is much more human than I expected."

"Yeah..." Linked agreed. "This wasn't exactly how I planned to reintroduce you two."

They both turned their heads when the door squeaked open. Zelda quietly slipped inside, balancing a tray between her arms. 

"Hey, Link. Ghirahim told me you were looking better." She smiled weakly, setting the tray down over his lap. "Pumpkin soup. You need to eat, we've been keeping you alive on barely more than potions the past few days."

Link didn't particularly feel hungry, but with both Ghirahim and Zelda watching him like hawks, he picked up the spoon and brought the food to his mouth. It was disappointingly tasteless. 

Zelda's shoulders relaxed when he didn't gag. "Thank the gods it's been working."

"What's been working?" Link asked though a mouthful of soup. Holding out her hand, Zelda let a ball of light float above her palm. Link dropped the spoon.

"How long have you been able to do that?"

"Always been able to do it, silly. Just didn't know how." She giggled, closing her hand into a fist and the light fizzed out.

"What is it?" Link asked, staring at the space where she had held the light. It looked similar to what he had seen Impa use before, and once, Zelda herself had sent the Goddess Harp flying across a deep chasm with a beam of light. These memories eased his shock by a little, but it was still big news she could use this magic at will. Sinking onto the bed next to Link, Zelda looked cautiously back at Ghirahim, waiting for some sign. He nodded, an exchange Link didn't understand.

"I think the best place to start is with what I believe happened to you." She began, resting her hand by his knee. "We don't have a name for it. I call it 'stupid sword sickness', though Ghirahim prefers shadow curse or poisoning."

She smiled teasingly as Ghirahim rolled his eyes. It was nice to see them getting along.

"Anyway, we've never seen it before, not that either of us can remember, but I think I know what caused it."

Tilting her head, she asked him, "You know what dark magic does to dead bokoblins, right?" Link nodded. "I think, combined with the power of the sword, that darkness became stronger."

Before he could ask, she clarified, "Ghirahim explained what happened. You didn't have a hold on the power the sword contains before fighting the lizalfos, and overexerted yourself. When you were attacked, you ended up using their energy to refuel what you had lost, but the spirit of the hero in you rejected it. Magic is a dangerous thing, Link."

Taking his hand in hers, Zelda turned his palm facing up. Starting at his wrist, his veins snaked up his arm, more prominent than he was used to. The deep red pattern looked almost like when Ghirahim was mid transformation.

"Your body was fighting against two invading powers. The darkness, enhanced by the sword, and the light of the gods. You still have the mark of the triforce, right?"

Link looked at the back of his hand. It didn't shine like it did when he had the pieces, but the holy light had burned a faint scar in its place. 

"There's still some magic in there, even if the pieces themselves are gone."

Zelda took a deep breath and opened her palm again. Pressing the ball of light into his hand, she counted to three before drawing back. The light snaked up his arm, following the spider web pattern as it glowed with a golden tone. It burned, but not unbearably so, and he only winced at the pain. Link watched the light fade from his hand, the burn weakened to a tingling sensation. His head felt clearer, and some of his strength returned. 

"You're healing. It's a start." Zelda sighed. "I'm trying to flush out the darkness with the power of the goddess. It's not healing magic, exactly. Just... magic."

She swung her legs off the bed, standing up and taking the tray off Link's lap. "Whatever it is, it's working. I'll keep it up."

"What does this mean going forward?" Link asked in a small voice. From what Zelda was saying, it sounded like Ghirahim's sword was the cause of this problem. Its missing presence was suddenly very apparent. 

"I still think I'm right that it was a bad idea becoming its—I mean, Ghirahim's—wielder, but I will admit I was too harsh with you. You have to understand where that was coming from." Zelda shook her head. "Still, I'm not going to ask you to stop using the sword."

Ghirahim leaned back on Link's desk chair with a grin. "No offense, your Grace, but I don't think you can get rid of me that easily."

She glared at him, but her face quickly softened into an amused smile.

"No, I think we just have to learn to live with him." She laughed aiming a kick at his shins. Ghirahim almost lost his balance as he avoided her, the legs of the chair slamming on the floor with a crack.

"Which means," she turned to Link, sobering up. "We have keep this from happening again. You almost didn't make it, Link."

Link nodded solemnly. He felt horrible for making them worry.

"There are two ways we can prevent this. One, purify the sword, which may not even work because it wasn't a neutral vessel to begin with, or..." Zelda hesitated. "There is another way, but it would be much more dangerous and risky. We both think it's a bad idea."

Link waited for one of them to continue. Neither said anything, and were avoiding looking at him.

"You're not going to tell me the other option?"

"No, because we don't want you doing anything risky. For now, we think it's best for you to rest. I'll find a way to fix this, if it's what you really want." Zelda glanced warily at Ghirahim. 

The demon sighed, sinking into the chair. "This isn't the time to talk about it. You don't have to decide now, but in the end, it is your choice."

"It affects you too!" Link blurted out, the sudden action sending him coughing a little. "It's not just my choice! And if you don't want me to stop making rash decisions you can't keep hiding things from me!"

"I told you, this isn't the time to talk about it." Ghirahim hissed, subtly nodding his head toward Zelda. Link stopped pushing.

Giving up, he changed the subject.

"So where is the sword?"

Zelda and Ghirahim shared a look.

"Where's the sword, guys."

"Don't get mad..." Zelda started to say, setting the empty tray down on Link's desk, "and Ghirahim agreed to this, just so you know. . ."

"Like I had a choice." He muttered under his breath. Zelda shot him glare. Turning back to Link, she twisted her hair through her fingers, a nervous habit Link recognized. 

"We're not telling you where it is."

The room was quiet as they waited for Link's reaction. Link frowned, the words processing in his mind. Zelda had the sword... and Ghirahim knew where it was... but he wasn't fighting her? A thought crossed his mind. He didn't want to resort to this, but with Zelda in the room (as she would probably be for most of the time he was awake for the next few days), Link didn't really see another choice. He closed his eyes and called out to Ghirahim silently. 

_You're going to tell me where it is, right?_

He waited for an answer. After a beat, he heard Ghirahim's voice.

_No._

Link felt betrayed, really. His own sword. He could have just ordered Ghirahim to tell him, but if Ghirahim didn't want to do something he wasn't going to. _"Where is it?" "On Skyloft." "Where on Skyloft?" "Somewhere in the academy."_ He wasn't about to play twenty questions.

"We thought it would be best." Zelda smiled weakly. "We don't want you to hurt yourself, and being around the sword is not helping."

Link stared incredulously them. They didn't trust him. His own friends. Zelda he had expected resistance from, but _Ghirahim?_ It wasn't like he was going to go out and start mowing down villagers, corrupted and possessed by the 'Sword of Demise', he couldn't even stand without keeling over two steps away! 

Zelda sighed, shifting most of her weight against the desk.

"I'm sorry, but you did just make what is probably the stupidest series of choices in your life. It's for your own good."

Link fell back onto the bed with a groan. He wasn't up for the oncoming lecture he had only avoided by coming back unconscious. 

From across the room, Ghirahim chuckled softly. Walking over to Link and ruffling his hair, he added, "Don't run off again."

The _audacity_. Said as if he hadn't been an accomplice to the crime. Link was going to have to do something about that later.

Turning away and hiding his head under a pillow, he heard the muffled laughter from his friends.

"Well, if you're good, I think I'm going to get some sleep." Zelda yawned, stretching her arms. "I'd say we're finally good to leave you alone for the night. Get some rest, Ghirahim, you need it too."

"Yeah," Ghirahim murmured. "I'll leave him alone soon."

"Good night!" She waved brightly, surprising Link as she left the room without a fight. When the door shut, he looked back at Ghirahim, waiting for his side of the story.

"I didn't tell her," He began, gently running his fingers through Link's hair, "about us. Only what she needed to know. She thinks I stay in the sword more often than I really do."

"The sword you won't tell me where it is?" Link teased, swatting Ghirahim with the pillow. The fingers in his hair tugged harder in retaliation.

"Yes, that sword." He grinned. "Really, I do think it's best for now that you don't have it. She trusts both of us more when we're separated."

Ghirahim shoved Link's shoulder. "Move over. There's barely been a moment we could be alone, and you were dead to the world for most of them. It pains me to admit it, but I think I've become attached."

Link hummed softly as he scooted towards the wall, wrapping the blanket around the demon. He yawned, pulling him closer and cuddling up to him. Strong arms cocooned him in place.

"I know I've been sleeping for days, but I'm tired _again_." Link complained, burying his face in Ghirahim's chest. It rumbled with soft laughter.

"Then sleep. We can talk later."

* * *

Ghirahim stayed awake long after Link had fallen asleep. He idly strung his fingers through his master's hair, watching with faint concern as Link twitched in his sleep.

Admittedly, not all of his concern was for Link's sake. Link had control of his sword now, and a responsibility to use it and use it properly. If he couldn't learn how to prevent this (without intervention from the goddess, despite what she tried to say), then this arrangement was going to fall through quickly. Link couldn't die yet. 

Ghirahim knew Link _would_ eventually die, much sooner than he had expected Demise to, and just this week has come face to face with his own mortality. He was never immortal, a spirit tied to someone else and condemned to follow them to the grave, but with Demise, that seemed eons away. It had been explained to him, when he first gave himself in service to the demon king, that the passage of time would no longer be an issue. His death would come at the death of his master's, given one of them wasn't killed by outside forces first. Demise had seemed invincible. Link was so mortal.

He wanted out. He wanted Link to be the last, the only other being to ever wield his blade, for the shards of his gem to be buried with bones and forgotten for the rest of eternity. He had suffered through two lifetimes of waiting, he would not see it end with another.

Link was young. Too young, he thought. Too young and reckless and naive, too innocent and vulnerable and ignorant to how precious the gift of a truly mortal life really was. He had bested the foes his ancestors failed to, and Ghirahim had foolishly thought it meant he was different. He was still Hylia's chosen hero, now destined to die and be reborn time and time again.

It would be easy to blame Link and ignore this. To say he took no part in it, that he had no choice and was only following orders. But Link was never one to use his power over others, and Ghirahim had no excuse. This was, partially ( _mostly_ ) his fault. He encouraged him to stray from the goddess. He instilled the doubt in his mind, driving them apart. He pushed Link too far, throwing him into the ocean before he knew how to swim.

In a rare moment of cooperation, he had agreed with the spirit maiden about one thing: Link couldn't be trusted with the sword at this point of time. Of course, if he really wanted to retrieve it, he couldn't stop them, but their combined concern would hopefully knock some sense into the knight. Once he healed, Ghirahim would have to focus on properly teaching Link to use the power the sword held.

The light of the goddess could prove to be a problem, as it was a large part of Link not being able to maintain control. Link was strong. He was stronger than both of them gave him, despite the idiotic tendencies and cluelessness. He'd find a way.

The floorboards outside the door creaked with the weight of another person, and Ghirahim considered disappearing before they entered. Then Link burrowed closer, murmuring in his sleep, and Ghirahim couldn't think to disturb him. It was a loosing battle, anyway. Zelda was sure to find out eventually.

The door slid open silently, inch by inch to keep it from making noise and alerting the boy currently held in his arms. Zelda peaked her head in, her expression grim when she caught sight of them. 

"You said you were going to leave him alone."

"I lied."

The whispered exchange was devoid of emotion. The goddess reborn did not lash out in anger, and the demon sword did not make a move to defend himself. Finally, she broke the tense silence.

"For how long?"

Ghirahim said nothing. It was enough of an answer for Zelda.

"Is this to thank for your absence on the surface? I only ever saw you twice, but Impa spoke of you as a constant threat a second away." She scoffed, shaking her head. "I knew something was up."

"Is it really that much of a surprise, your majesty?" Ghirahim asked, eyes cast down at Link. "Do you really think he would have picked up the sword otherwise?"

Zelda's hand tightened on the doorway. "Don't call me that."

"I'm sorry, is the proper title 'Your Grace'? Forgive me, goddess, I wouldn't know." Ghirahim sneered, unconsciously tightening his protective hold on Link. Zelda frowned, her hand drifting back to the doorknob. 

"No, it's _Zelda_. Just Zelda."

"It's not, is it?" Ghirahim laughed mirthlessly, forgetting about his fear of waking Link. "Just as he will never be 'just Link', you are not and never were 'just Zelda'. I will take responsibility for my sins. Can you admit to yours, Hylia?"

Zelda turned away the the mention of the goddess. Leaving the room, she whispered back, "I just wanted to see if he was sleeping. I didn't do this to him, you know." 

She shut the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO. HYRULE WARRIORS AGE OF CALAMITY.
> 
> I'm not going to put off writing my castle town scenes until November, but it's going to be so cool to see it pre calamity!!!!


	6. Uncovered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ghirahim and Zelda sheltering him from the past, Link takes matters into his own hands.

The coming months were rough for Link. Zelda and Ghirahim hadn't let him leave his room for the first two weeks, not that he could have gone very far. They didn't let him stray from the academy for another three. After the worst had passed, Zelda had relinquished caretaker duties over to Ghirahim and went back to her role in the move to the surface, but she would return every day to keep Link informed, telling him stories of how the land below was changing. 

The shock that came with the first snowfall halted actions on the surface. After enough of his pleading (and Ghirahim threatening to ignore her answer), Zelda gave in and let Link visit early, only when supervised by someone _other_ than the demon; on the condition he didn't leave the Sealed Grounds. Ghirahim couldn't go far from Skyloft without the sword anyway, and neither were yet to tell Link where it was hidden.

It was apparent Zelda and Ghirahim were having their own silent battle. After the first night he was awake, Link hadn't seen the two of them in the same space for longer than a stiff greeting and hastily made excuse to leave. Link would have to admit that though he used it to his advantage _(but Zelda says I'm well enough to leave the academy)_ , it was getting tiresome. Any questions he had were brushed off with "he knows more about that than I do" and "this is something you should ask the goddess", a frustrating feedback loop that left him more confused than where he started. 

Link resorted to finding answers himself, disappointed that his only ally in this had joined the other side. He could still feel the pull to the surface, and started having disjointed dreams haunted by the figure. It was nothing like the nightmares he had of the Imprisoned, and nowhere near as vivid as when the Goddess Sword first called to him. They felt similar, in a way, but weaker, less pronounced and harder to remember. 

His symptoms all but went away after every treatment from Zelda, and she was doing her best to keep it up. Though Link would give anything to finally be rid of the ever present aches and dizziness, the visions of the shadow came less and less the more Zelda helped. He didn't want them to. Link couldn't help but feel it held the answers he needed. But he was never very good at lying, and would never be able to convince her to stop.

He was good at avoiding people, however. Years of hiding from Groose and his bullies had taught Link excellent evasion tactics, and if he didn't want to be found he couldn't be. It was easy to slip away from Zelda for a few hours to pour through ancient texts, but Ghirahim... Ghirahim was harder. As a sword spirit he could do everything Fi had been able to, and though he had been honestly terrible at finding Zelda and the Gates of Time, Link was, unfortunately, much easier for him to seek out successfully. Ghirahim wasn't as controlling as Zelda, though, and didn't pry into what Link was reading, but there was only so much he could do with the demon breathing over his shoulder. The book Zelda gave him had mysteriously disappeared from his room along with the sword, which only made Link even more suspicious of it. 

He had to find it. There was something in there that Zelda wanted him to know, Ghirahim didn't, and somehow whether or not he knew achieved similar goals. He didn't bring it up to either of them.

Link found his chance soon enough. Out on the academy balcony passing time with his carvings, Link impatiently waited to carry out his plan as Ghirahim lounged in the sun. 

A loud caw signaled Zelda's arrival from the surface. They hadn't been able to work with the dangerous weather, but Zelda had been closely observing the situation to help them be prepared. When they were finally living there, they would have to deal with the winter months themselves. 

Her bird landed outside the armoury, and she slid off its back with a wave to Link.

"Hey Link! Mind if I borrow Ghirahim for a second?" She called to them from the training yard, dropping her bag as she sent her bird away. The demon groaned, rolling over and shielding his eyes from the sun.

"What could she possibly want now?" He complained, glaring as the gust from Zelda's bird disturbed his hair. 

"Yeah, we're not doing anything. I was just about to head back. I'm—" He faked a yawn. "A little tired."

Zelda gave him a thumbs up. "Great, thanks!"

Link giggled as Ghirahim gave him a 'why-are-you-making-me-do-this' glare, and the demon disappeared with a snap and flurry of diamonds. A quick glance over the railing saw them engaged in conversation, and Link sent his plan into action.

One plus of growing up in the academy with Zelda was that they probably knew every nook, cranny, and secret the building held. No locked door was off limits, no hidden room left uncovered, no forgotten passageway left for obscurity. The vent above the bathroom that connected to Zelda's room was one of these.

Link pulled his clawshot from his pouch. He fumbled with the trigger, nervously glancing around to make sure no one saw, before aiming and closing eyes. 

The claws hit the target with a loud clang. Wincing, Link peeked around the tower to see if he had alerted the others, but Zelda and Ghirahim were still speaking in hushed tones, seemingly fully invested in their argument. 

He pressed down on the release, letting the slack of the chain pull him up. Dropping into the open area above the bathroom, Link took a deep breath. That had been loud. He strained his ears for sound of yelling, a shimmer of diamonds to appear next to him, or any other sign he had been caught. None came. Still worked up, he didn't sigh in relief yet. Link crawled down the tight vent into Zelda's room, landing on the floor quite ungracefully.

Zelda's room was a mess of pink and white like it usually was. Link looked around, hoping what he was searching for had just been left out. He may have broken into her room, but he drew the line at sifting through her stuff. Hopefully.

On her desk, under a cluttered stack of maps and parchment, Ghirahim's sword was not very well hidden. Link let his hand hover over the hilt, itching to pick it back up.

He resisted. One, Ghirahim would know as soon as he touched the metal, and two, the temptation to wield it wasn't as strong as it once was. No waves of power washed over him, no dark energy reaching into his mind. Either it had been controlled by Ghirahim the whole time and he wasn't actively coercing Link at the moment, or Zelda's newfound magic was preventing him from feeling it. Link wasn't sure how to feel about this.

On one hand, there was relief. He had never felt comfortable with the power the sword held, so much more unstable and harder to control than the Master Sword. On the other... now that he knew what the blade was capable of, Link thought it would do more harm than good to brush it aside and not address the matter. 

He feared it would be another hard conversation to bring up. Now was not the time to get sidetracked.

Link scanned the shelf, hoping he would recognize the book if he saw it. He never had a chance to get the title.

It wasn't there. Sighing in defeat, Link headed for the door. He had already wasted precious time distracted by the sword, he didn't have anymore to thoroughly look for the book. 

In the middle of reaching for the doorknob, he stopped. Zelda's wardrobe was cracked open. It wouldn't hurt just to peek inside... just to see if, maybe, she had actually put away some of her school supplies for once. Link hesitated at the door.

He finally made up his mind to try. Pulling open the cabinet, he glanced inside, just a quick look, taking in the frilly decorations and haphazardly stacked notebooks. 

There it was.

On top of the stack, the mystery book Zelda had given him laid, a note pinned to the cover. In messy handwriting, the smeared ink read,

_Thanks for letting me borrow this! Interesting read!_

_-Link_

"Ghirahim...." Link hissed through gritted teeth, the words not his own. Snatching it from the pile, Link closed the doors and left Zelda's bedroom.

Back in his room, Link hopped on the bed and opened the bookmarked page. 

The neat Hylian was an older variant, the same alphabet, but nearly impossible to understand. He flipped through a couple more pages, all of the same indecipherable script, and huffed in annoyance. He couldn't read this. It would take him ages to translate, and it was hard enough to find this time alone. Tossing the book aside in frustration, Link ran a hand through his bangs.

A piece of paper fluttered out of the cover. It was folded up, his name written on the front in large letters, and clearly in Zelda's handwriting. He opened the note.

_I went ahead and translated the important bits, I knew you wouldn't go to the trouble ;) You slept all the way through Ancient Hylian anyway!_

Ignoring the jest, Link's eyes wandered to Zelda's translation.

_The citizens, having been chosen by the goddess Hylia, who are called the Hylians, resided in the land located at the center of the world. They were spoken to directly by the gods, and therefore had been tasked with protecting their kingdom. When it was declared by her that a safe location would be sent to the sky, they were the first to be rewarded._

Link skimmed the page. He knew this, it had been covered in school. He also knew now it was wrong, but Ghirahim couldn't have been so upset over something so small, could he? The next couple paragraphs started going into the beginning of the war, listing causalities and the outcome of battles. Boring.

Half way down the page, he found what he was looking for. Zelda had highlighted it and left a note to the side.

_Gods, I never knew. We're lucky to be alive, given who we were dealing with. I'm so sorry you had to face him alone._

Confused, he turned to the translated passage.

_In the soldiers of the demons, there was no honor to be found. The laws of war were disregarded, and no soldier, citizen, nor noble class were taken as prisoner. The demon army did not offer ransom, and they chose to slaughter all who came across them._

_None were as bad as the Sword of Demise, the Demon Lord Ghirahim himself. Delighting in bloodshed, three hundred of foot soldiers, one hundred of knights, and fifty and six of noble men were killed by his hand alone during a single battle._

Link froze. The mention of Ghirahim caught his attention. Was this what the sword hadn't wanted him to know? Zelda had marked off more, the bright highlight a blaring warning as he read on.

_It is said this demon was born from fire and blood, shaped by the king for one purpose. A living sword with no rival. When Hylia learned of this, she brought forth her own weapon._

Conversations with Ghirahim popped into Link's head. The demon had mentioned the process of forging a sword spirit was not pretty, and Link expected the next two paragraphs to be about the creation of the Master Sword. He understood if Ghirahim wanted to keep this information from him, but Link's curiosity got the best of him. When the rough conversation finally came up, Link would still listen, and never let him know he had found out before hand. He kept reading.

_And his name was Link, the Chosen Hero of the Goddess. The Hero was returned to us, given the Crimson Loftwing and Master Sword, and sent to fight for Hyrule. And he was an equal to the sword. No other was able to strike down so many in the name of Hylia, no other was able to vanquish enemies so great. In the span of three days, Demise's forces were gone. Hylia sent her faithful people away from the scorched land to start anew, and sealed away the demon king with a final strike._

Surprised at the mention of his past life, Link paused before the final paragraph. He was a little shocked to learn how violent the first hero had been, but he had to take this with a grain of salt. It was just one account, one that had been disproved by scholars and historians, by people who were actually there. Still, he dreaded reading the last couple sentences. 

_In the end, the Hero was killed by Hylia herself. He had become too dangerous to control, and thus he was not able to join the Hylians in the sky. It is said, in her sorrow, Hylia disappeared from the land to watch over the sky, leaving his spirit to watch over the desolate land._

Zelda's translation ended there. Scrawled across the bottom, she had left a final note.

_I can't believe they got that so WRONG, right??? No wonder we never read this in history class! It does make me wonder, though, why he writes the first hero as Ghirahim's counterpart? Did they not know about Fi in the Master Sword? I wish I could remember!_

This wasn't what he was taught. This wasn't what happened, as several who had _been_ there had told him. Why was it affecting him so much? Link could feel his chest tighten as he reread the pages. 

He couldn't prove this happened. But, as of right now, he also couldn't prove it _didn't_. Zelda didn't have all the memories of Hylia, Ghirahim was, face it, not a trustworthy source of information, Fi was only allowed to tell him what Hylia wanted him to know, Impa **had** always acted cold around him... Link slammed the book shut. He was overreacting, it was only one account, one that dissented from popular theory, anyway. Yes, the first hero had killed, it was _war_ , he himself had taken countless lives (his stomach clenched at the thought). He knew Ghirahim was a murderous demon created with only one intent, but they were past that now. Just because something was made for one purpose didn't mean it had to fulfill that purpose alone. 

The line about Hylia killing the first hero because he was too dangerous stuck in his mind. He feared, even though this was likely a false retelling of the past, the words prophesied a terrible future. Had the sword he chose to wield sealed his fate?

Distracted, Link hadn't heard the floor creak outside his door until it was pushed open.

"Link...?" 

In a brilliant moment of dexterity, Link chucked the book across the room. He winced as it hit the flimsy wall with a bang, and crashed to the floor with no less noise. Zelda pushed open the door the rest of the way, tilting her head in concern.

"Are you... okay? What was that about?" She asked, stepping into the room so Ghirahim could follow behind her. "I know you said you were tired, but... we have something to tell you."

With a blush, Link ruffled the back of his hair nervously. "N-nothing, I just panicked. You startled me."

Ghirahim was approaching the discarded book. Link made a move to stop him, but it was too late. The demon had picked it up from the ground, turning it over to read the title. 

He closed his eyes with a sigh. 

"No, I know what this is about." Holding up the book, he avoided Link's eyes. "The contents of this was only going to hurt you."

When she recognized the book, Zelda grew even more confused. "Wait, you told me you finished it? You're just reading it now?"

"No, Ghirahim read it and returned it in my name, and then wouldn't tell me what was in it. I had to know, I'm sorry." Link sighed, standing up to wrench the source of their problems from Ghirahim's hand. "I see why he didn't want me to know."

"I don't know what you expected, Your Grace, giving him this." Ghirahim growled, and Link cautiously stepped in between the two. "You've done more harm than good, it's all lies anyway."

"I just thought he might want to know!" Zelda defended, taking the book back from Link. "As you said, it's not real anyway, I just figured it was funny how wrong the author had gotten it."

"For you maybe. Strange, I don't find it too **funny** that Hylia may have killed her own hero. It's not too outlandish of a theory, as he _conveniently_ did not regain the memories of his past life. But you did, you say?" 

"Okay, okay, can we talk about this later?" Link snapped, falling back onto the bed. "You had something else to say, right?"

"No, I want to talk about this now." Zelda stood her ground, stepping up to Ghirahim with her hands on her hips. "Are you sure that's your problem, **demon lord**? Link and I know the part about us isn't true, but what about you? Afraid he'd find out how horrible you really are?"

"Hardly. Link is well aware of what I'm capable of." He hissed back. Link jumped up, wedging himself between the two.

"Nope, not doing this now, Ghirahim, _back off_." 

Link felt Ghirahim go rigid at his side. Regretting how harsh he had sounded, he shrank back.

"Can you give us a minute?" He whispered, glancing back up at Zelda. She crossed her arms, scowl deepening, but she left without word. 

The door did not slam shut, but the anger was there. Link mentally groaned in frustration, wishing he knew how to better handle this. He wasn't a good mediator for conflicts, that had always been Zelda's job. 

"Look, I'm—" He started to say, but Ghirahim cut him off.

"No, she has a point." He admitted with a sigh. "And you were perfectly within your right to stop me. Master." He added as an afterthought, turning from Link with downcast eyes.

Link hated the way he used the title. He took Ghirahim's hand, more so for his own comfort than the sword's, and asked, "I get it. You wanted to protect me. That's not the only reason, is it?"

"Truthfully, no. I also didn't..." Ghirahim hesitated. "I didn't want you to think badly of me."

"I don't. Not anymore." Link gently rubbed his hand, then took a seat on the bed. "I thought we cleared that up when I picked up your sword."

"You have to understand. It was war, I was a different person..." Ghirahim sank onto the bed next to Link. "And I don't regret it, even now."

That was a warning sign. Link sucked in a breath, unsure if it was safe to trod the broken glass of this topic. Ghirahim had made concerning statements like this before, off hand comments that made him question his morality. Link knew what he was getting into, he knew Ghirahim was a bad influence and once the antagonist to their story, but as much as he made Link stray from the light, Link hoped he made a difference in Ghirahim. He had hoped everything the sword had done was just under Demise's orders, impossible to ignore or resist, and he had brushed off Ghirahim's blood lust as something one would expect of a sword. 

"You don't?" He prompted, now close enough to nearly be in his lap. Link ignored the knots in his stomach.

"No. From my point of view, Hylians were the enemy. I see now that Demise was worse, but still... Hylia was never the greatest good in the world. Terrible things were done in her name just as they were in the name of Demise."

Ghirahim took Link's face into one of his hands. He smiled sadly, brushing away the knight's bangs.

"I do regret having to fight you. You are innocent in her wrongdoings, a victim yourself. To an extent, your Zelda is too... but if she wants to take responsibility for her role as Hylia, she has to take responsibility for all of it."

His hand dropping, Ghirahim looked away.

"To me, her countless followers at the time were nothing more than the bokoblins you strike down. Mindless followers, they never stopped to wonder if what they were doing was the only right answer."

"And what you did was?"

"I didn't say that."

Picking himself up from the bed, Ghirahim pulled Link up with him.

"Nevermind that now. We have other things to talk about."

Link nodded, walking over to the door. 

"Zelda?"

"Done with your little heart to heart?" She teased, though there was still a note of contempt in her voice. Link scoffed, choosing to ignore it for now.

"Yeah, whatever. What did you want that was so important you thought you needed to wake me from my nap for?"

"You weren't asleep, I don't feel bad about it anymore." Zelda grinned, but her smiled dropped and tone changed serious at her next words. "The sword."

"What about it..." Link cautiously stepped back, noting how Ghirahim and Zelda had him trapped in the room.

"Well, I'm sure you know where it is now, so that's no longer a problem." She rolled her eyes, holding up the book as evidence. 

"Do you remember when we told you there was another way to prevent your sickness from happening again?" Ghirahim asked.

Remembering back to when he first woke up, Link thought of them telling him one way of solving the problem, but being very hesitant to give him another option. He nodded.

"It might not be as dangerous as we first thought. It's still not a good idea, but we thought you should know about it."

"What's the other option?"

Zelda took a deep breath. She glanced at Ghirahim for confirmation one last time before starting her explanation.

"I can take the last of the triforce from you. Cleanse your body of the goddess' touch, and you can learn how to control the dark magic. It is possible, but Ghirahim and I have agreed we shouldn't do it."

"Why not?"

Ghirahim spoke up. "The magic running through your veins is the only thing keeping you from succumbing completely. I'm sorry, but you're not strong enough to wield the power I possess."

Holding out his hand, he silenced Link's mild outrage. "Now hold on, that doesn't mean you're frail, just improperly equipped. Neither of us could hold the Master Sword, would you say we're weak?"

He had a point. Link continued listening. 

"The sheikah trained for years to learn shadow magic. Under their care, the dark power was used to fulfill Hylia's agenda, restraining the 'evil' magic with what was taught to them by the goddess. Anyone who dissented from their teachings were executed, those who sought the immeasurable untainted power. Hylia would never reveal her secrets, not even to her Hylians, but Demise... could be very persuasive."

Ghirahim at least looked guilty at this. Link wondered where he drew the line between what he regretted and what he didn't.

"I know how to use this magic, obviously. I was taught it before I became the sword, and I can teach you. However, it is unwise to take the goddess' blessing from you... I would rather risk hurting myself than you."

"So we want to go ahead with fixing the sword. The sacred flames won't work on it, but the springs might. There's a third, one we didn't have to visit," Zelda piped up. "And it's... in the uncharted land on the surface." She sighed, admitting defeat.

"Once you're really, _really_ better, and the winter goes away, you and Ghirahim can go find it." 

Link perked up. "Really? You're okay with that?"

"Yeah, I guess." Zelda shrugged. "We've been without your help for a month, I guess we don't need you as much as I thought."

Though it was said to make him feel bad, Link didn't care. He tackled Zelda with a hug, bombarding her with "thank you, thank you, thank you"s as Ghirahim snorted, turning away to hide his smirk.

"You don't know how much it means to me you're okay with this." He whispered, holding her tighter. Zelda relaxed, hugging him back.

"I'm just glad we're not fighting anymore."

Pulling away, she nodded once, firmly. "Well, that's it. I've got to update Groose and the others on the surface, see you guys later."

She waved goodbye, leaving Link and Ghirahim alone in his room. Still smiling, he tucked himself under Ghirahim's arm.

"Does this mean I can have the sword back?" He teased, laughing as Ghirahim groaned at his playful affection.

"Yes, but I should mention I don't entirely agree with Zelda." Holding onto his shoulder to steady him, Ghirahim looked at Link sternly.

"We're not going to solve this by dipping the blade in some holy spring. I'm going to teach you to use shadow magic, whether she agrees or not. It's the only way. You don't have to denounce Hylia's ways completely, and I mean what I said. I would rather harm myself than you, and I will do whatever it takes to be sure of it."

Link's laughter died down. He nodded solemnly, agreeing to the task ahead of them.

Satisfied Link wasn't going to argue, Ghirahim smiled again. "Good."

Resting his thumb on Link's lip, he added, "You know she can't find out about this, right? Our little secret?"

He did. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to hide anything anymore, but Ghirahim was right. Zelda wouldn't budge on this. And as much as he didn't want to admit it, the book she gave him changed how he viewed the power of the goddess. Maybe Zelda wanted what was good for him, but the Hylia in her... wasn't always looking out for his best interest. A sick feeling creeping back into his stomach, Link nodded again. Wanting to change the subject, he took hold of Ghirahim's hand and asked,

"Where did you learn shadow magic?" 

Ghirahim remained silent.

After a few moments, he replied.

"Some say demon is another word for traitor. Some say the act took away any claim to humanity, leaving a soulless, unnatural being in its place. Call it what you will."

Link didn't see how this was an answer, but Ghirahim continued. 

"Sword spirits are forged, not born."

"And you learned dark magic through that process..?" Link finished, still unclear of how this related to his question

"In a way." He answered cryptically, only strengthening Link's doubts. Ghirahim turned away from him.

The reality of the situation came over him in a rush. He had just regained Zelda's trust, been nursed back to health by her, which he only needed because he couldn't face her in the first place. And now, when she had finally forgiven him and was ready to move on, he was going behind her back once more.

_In the end, the Hero was killed by Hylia herself._

He didn't see any other way around it. She was hiding things from him too, after all. It was for the best, really.

_He had become too dangerous to control_

He was going to have to choose between Ghirahim and the goddess again, and this time Link wasn't sure he could make the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TLDR of the book (if you're like me and skip over letters and books within books. Harry Potter was hard to read man): Author says Hylians are better than everyone else because Hylia spoke with them directly, they fought the hardest to save the surface so they deserved to be saved the most. Ghirahim is mentioned by name doing some graphic violence, OG Link retaliates with more violence, Hylia kills Link maybe
> 
> The ironic thing is. I stopped translating my real life Latin drills to write a fake translation of a made up ancient language. To make it sound like a real translation of Latin. I have a quiz to study for. Classics major baby!!!!! I fucking hate the romans  
> 


	7. Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Ghirahim begin the process of cleansing Ghirahim's sword, but not everything goes to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Modified version of the Hyrule Historia manga backstory ahead

Better weather couldn't come quickly enough for Link. The winter months passed with hours and hours of pouring over books, looking for some mention of the third spring or the long forgotten past. Ghirahim had deemed it too dangerous to practice magic on Skyloft, in fear of Zelda finding out, so there wasn't much else to do. It was longest he had been home since the fateful tornado, and Link was getting impatient. 

Finally, three months into their endeavors, Zelda had compiled everything they could possibly find into a fail-safe plan for cleansing Ghirahim's sword. Of course, Ghirahim had his own agenda, one Link would be forced to agree to blindly until he was away from Skyloft, but Zelda didn't need to know. As long as he could keep the peace between the two for a little longer, he could get out of here and fix everything. 

Link adjusted the sword strapped to his back. It fit better, given a real scabbard to match, and though he hadn't been able to practice using its magic, he was becoming much more proficient in wielding the blade. It was almost as natural as using the Master Sword by now.

The cloudy sky above the surface showed no change, as it always had. He knew the world below was back to the way he found it from Zelda's stories, but Link hadn't been able to see it again himself. From the platform near the Plaza, he waited anxiously for Zelda to send him off. Knights flying over head blew gusts of wind through the nearby trees.

Ghirahim was in the blade. It was easier this way, to get down to the surface and where he needed to go. It was also one less confrontation between him and Zelda. He was thankfully silent, for once. 

His bird squawked impatiently, nudging him to get a move on. Loftwings didn't spend much time on the ground, feeling safest in the sky. 

"I know, buddy, she'll be here in a minute." He patted its beak, also ready to go, but Zelda had his map and the details of what had to be done. He couldn't leave until she was ready for him to go.

It only took another moment before he saw her blonde head bobbing down the steps. She rushed to greet him, pulling Link into a tight hug before shoving the important papers into his hands.

"Okay, I marked this new map with where you need to go, and in what order, it's important you do it in the right order, I know we haven't talked about that before but—"

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down!" Link interrupted, not understanding anything she was saying. Zelda waved him off and continued her fast paced rant.

"There's an important piece of this I overlooked. In order to really fix this, I mean _really_ fix this, not make it worse but think you fixed it, you have to cleanse the sword in the right order, otherwise it'll be imbalanced and impossible to wield. You have to start with wisdom first, as that's the aura you both lack, and then courage. Power only once you've done the others. The last thing we need is an even more powerful Ghirahim."

"I still don't... what?"

He stared at her blankly, trying to process what she was saying. Zelda groaned in frustration. 

"Sorry, it's not you, I just can't believe how stupid I was to miss this, we almost messed things up beyond our control." Taking a deep breath, she calmed down, guiding Link over to a bench to sit.

"You have to cleanse the sword in all three springs. We know that. Skyview, the Earth Spring, and this new one. I unfortunately can't tell you where it is, but that's what you're going to find out. They change, sometimes, the springs... Each one corresponds to a piece of the Triforce, but which one is which has been lost to time. I think the one we're looking for is the Spring of Power."

Link nodded slowly. "Okay, so, first we find the missing spring. Then we use it?"

"Not exactly. You need to know where it is because once you use the first spring it's imperative to get to the others quickly. Impa told me that."

It wasn't clicking in Link's mind. "But you only went to two springs, right?"

"Yes, which is why I think the missing one is power. We weren't trying to make Hylia the fighter, that was you." She explained, reaching for his map to unfold it.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks."

Ignoring him, Zelda continued.

"So first you need to find the third spring." She gestured vaguely at the middle section. "Which we know is somewhere around here. There won't be any books left at the settlement, but I'm hoping you'll find carvings or paintings." Pointing at Faron, Zelda drew Link's attention to the temple. "Then start with Skyview, I'm almost positive Skyview is wisdom. Hylia was always closely associated with the Triforce of Wisdom, it makes sense I would start there."

She dragged her finger down a green line between the forest and the volcano, marking off a path.

"And if the missing spring is power, that leaves courage for Eldin. Skyview, Eldin, third spring. In that order, as fast as you can."

"What if I'm not fast enough?"

Zelda shrugged, rolling his map back up.

"If you don't do it fast enough you can start over. There is a still a time limit, so... no wasting it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean no getting sidetracked." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're excited to explore, but you're not down there to chase after legends. There's nothing left—well, I should say there will be nothing left of Demise once you've done this."

Brushing her off, Link walked over to his bird. It took him a minute to find the right words, but when he did, they were barely above a whisper.

"I want to know who I was."

"You can do that later."

He heard Zelda sigh and the shuffle of her boots. 

"Honesty I don't understand why you care about it so much. It's over, we should move on. I think you'll find secrets that were never meant to be uncovered."

_So she finally admits she has something to hide._

Link shut his eyes at Ghirahim's voice grating on his mind. He nearly said something, but didn't want to alarm Zelda. Again, he reminded himself it was no different than Fi, that this was necessary to mastering the sword. 

Zelda's hand was gentle on his back when she pressed the map into his hand. Her voice was soft, coaxing, as she smiled encouragingly. Once, it would have comforted him beyond all else. 

"You've got this Link."

Now it was a reminder she saw him as weak, misguided. A wayward disciple that needed to be reined back in. He tucked the folded map into his pouch and focused on the mission ahead. The time limit complicated things a little, but it couldn't be that bad. With Ghirahim's magic, it wasn't something to worry about. Finding the spring, on the other hand, was going to be the biggest challenge.

"Yeah." Swinging a leg over his bird, Link looked back to Zelda. 

"How hard can it be?"

* * *

Hard. Terribly, horribly, impossibly hard, apparently.

Because Link _couldn't read_ anything they found. 

Ghirahim was no help. He seemed to understand them perfectly, yes, but all he would give Link was a "no, not what you're looking for" or "interesting, but not quite what we need". It was **infuriating**. 

"It's not my fault you didn't pay attention in your classes." The demon shrugged, waving off another stone carving in the ruined streets. "I don't believe we'll find anything of use among the common rubble. We need to enter the castle."

Sighing, Link followed his sword. "Fine. But the point of this one isn't reaching the end and fighting whatever leftover horror you forgot to warn me of. We're here for information."

* * *

Getting into the castle was easy. Unlike most of the temples and dungeons he had explored, nothing was stopping them from entering. They were met with few monsters, and they weren't powerful or involved with sorcery any kind. Ghirahim was certainly disappointed. 

"I suppose the eradication of Demise also got rid of all his armies." The demon sighed, idly playing with a dagger as Link dispatched some keese, more of an annoyance than a threat. "I don't think you fought them all off in a matter of six months."

"No, we didn't run into much on the surface." Link confirmed, halfway down the ornate hall. The castle was in surprisingly good shape, but then again, so was every other ten thousand year old building from the Era of Hylia. At least this was familiar. 

The door at the end was locked, but that didn't surprise Link. He knew what he was doing by now, and didn't foresee any complications. This wasn't as get in and get out as the other temples had been, and he was looking for an unknown instead of a clear end. Ghirahim was also not as cooperative as Fi. 

Hmm. Maybe he would run into some trouble.

"So I know this is our first time doing... this, but Fi and I kind of had a system." 

Link looked back to Ghirahim, waiting for him to follow along or complain that he 'wasn't the Master Sword'. The sword only glanced at him in boredom, mildly interested in what he had to say. 

"Go on."

"There's a map somewhere. There's always a map and a compass, I don't know why. We'd find those first. I think they'll be useful to us, given we don't really know what we're looking for but we can mark off where we've already been. It'll also help us find keys, this door's locked, but back near the main room there was another hall. One of them has to open."

Link explained, trying to get Ghirahim to follow his lead without argument. The longer they spent, the more likely they would have to face stronger enemies, and the more likely Link was to get hurt again.

Not waiting for a reply, Link began walking back to where they came from. The hallway was lit by large floor length windows, glass long since shattered, the tattered remains of curtains casting shadows as they fluttered in the wind. It was nothing to be concerned with, but any other movement was easy to miss.

Still, something was off. Curtains weren't shaped like humans. Link looked back to the broken panes, looking for the source of the shadow on the ground, pre-emptively raising his sword and shield. Nothing blocked the light, but still the dark patch waited on the ground, blinking out of sight a moment later.

Link whipped around in time to see it vanish through the far door, the one with the large lock covering it. His sudden movement startled Ghirahim, who lost his concentration on the hovering dagger and it fell to the ground with a clatter.

"What is it this time?" He demanded to know, huffing in exasperation. The blade on the floor ceased to exist in a flurry of diamonds.

Link lowered the sword. He didn't really want Ghirahim to know, but the demon spoke again before he could.

"You saw the figure again, didn't you?" Ghirahim asked, though he didn't sound angry.

"Yes..."

"And you want to follow it?"

"Yes." Link nodded meekly.

"You know, I've been thinking," Ghirahim started, walking forward to where Link had just focused on, "I may know what this apparition could be. There are a number of spectral beings, sprites and such. It could be a poe, a shade of the dead, or possibly a wizzrobe, the cursed spirit of a dark wizard. Either way, I am curious."

Link titled his head in confusion. "So you want to..."

"Yes. I want to follow it. It more than likely does not have your best interests at heart, given it _has_ a heart, but I think we can handle it, don't you?" He snapped his fingers and the lock fell away from the door. "It would give me **something** to entertain myself with."

Link marched forward, now determined to finally figure out what had been plaguing him since he found Ghirahim's sword. "Yeah. Let's go."

The door slammed behind the two, sealing them in darkness. Sword in front of Link glowing dimly with red light, pulsing as if a heart beat, the knight took a deep breath. Like the Master Sword, he reminded himself. Nothing to worry about. He stepped ahead of Ghirahim.

"Wait. You were going to let me go all the way back to the start for a key, when you could have broken the lock _the whole time?"_

* * *

The lack of windows or torches meant it was harder to follow a guide made of the darkness itself. He had almost tripped down steep stairwells twice, only caught by Ghirahim at the last second, and stumbled over dusty rugs bunched up in the middle of their path. Though Link's eyes adjusted to the dark eventually, it wasn't enough to actually have vision in the catacombs of the castle. Ghirahim seemed at home in the darkness.

"Quiet. There's something there." He stopped Link once more, throwing out a hand to keep him from going forward. Link ducked under it, holding the sword out.

"What?"

There was a pause, and Link heard a faint chime he wasn't sure came from Ghirahim or the sword.

"I can't tell. Whatever it was, it's not that anymore." Coming up behind him, the demon protectively grabbed onto his shoulder. "Be careful. This is dark magic again, like last time."

Link nodded slowly. They didn't need a repeat of Hyrule Field. Looking to his sword for advice, he shifted his stance in preparation.

"So... I should...fight it normally?"

Ghirahim took a moment to respond.

"Let's not. There's no better time to start learning how to channel magic. Just... close your eyes and trust me."

Link did not trust him. Still, he hesitantly raised the sword. 

He only flinched a little at Ghirahim's voice once again caressing his mind.

_Raise your sword arm higher. As if you were performing a skyward strike. That move is just calling energy from the goddess. The energy you're looking for isn't coming from her, but from **us.** You can feel it, I know you can._

Ignoring the languid lick next to his ear, Link did as he was told. The words in his mind were accompanied by a slight press on his arm.

_Now, when you're bringing the blade down, release the power inside of it as a burst. Don't let it flow. You want to control how much you give, and how much you take in return. Avoid trying to take._

Link scrunched his eyes closed. He could feel it again, the dark power coursing through his veins, fighting with the leftover light of Hylia. His sword arm wavered, still raised high.

_It hurts, doesn't it? You want to let it out? Let it. Now, Link!_

At the command, Link brought the blade down with a yell. The disk of light shot out the end, but as soon as it left the point, Link drew back, closing himself off and watching the fiery power race down the hall. It illuminated the surrounding walls, marked with twisting runes, the stories flashing before his eyes. As quickly as it left the blade, it connected with the far wall, the collision sending broken stones flying as the corridor filled with red light. He threw his hands over his ears to block the sound.

When the shock was over, Link hesitantly uncovered his ears. Ghirahim stepped around him, creeping towards the ruined wall with greater interest. 

"Whatever it was, it's gone now." He shrugged, nudging a charred bone aside with his foot. "I don't know if you saw, but it appeared to be a skeletal soldier of some sort, a guardian left to haunt his post."

"Stalfos. Ran into a few of those before." Link confirmed, disoriented as red spots danced around his eyes. "Mindless skeleton warriors brought back to fulfill one task. Fi said they were ordinary soldiers, but they sacrificed themselves to protect temples of Hylia, and came back stronger as gatekeepers and guardians. 

"She would know all about them, then." Ghirahim muttered, a statement Link almost missed. He blinked again, trying to get the red to leave his vision, stumbling as he caught up with the sword spirit.

"Did you see the writing on the wall? Is it what we're looking for?" Link asked, grabbing onto his arm for stability. 

"No. We're getting close, though, this appears to be some origin story for the golden goddesses."

Link nodded. Absently kicking the stones at his feet, he took in the damage.

It suddenly hit him. He had done this, taken out a full staflos _in one hit_ , **and he felt fine.** No nausea, no headache, just a buzzing feeling under his skin where he still felt the power of the sword flowing.

"I did it! Ghirahim, I actually did it! It _worked!"_

"Yes, you did." The demon sounded amused, reaching across to ruffle his hair encouragingly. "That was quite good, actually."

Link held the blade out in front of him. It seemed to glow brighter, feeding off both his excitement and Ghirahim's amusement.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine!"

"Good." Guiding him forward through the hole in the wall, Ghirahim continued, "You're understanding now. Don't get too cocky, the power is incredibly addictive. All it takes is one slip up after you're in too deep and you start taking more than you can handle."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Link grinned, hand slipping down Ghirahim's arm and fitting against his palm. "That's enough for today, I think any more enemies we meet I'll fight the traditional way."

"Easier said than done." Ghirahim scoffed. "You weren't trying to use magic when you hurt yourself, it just happened. How about we leave the fighting to me, okay?"

Link sighed. "Yeah. Sounds like a good plan." They stepped into an open space, still dark as night, but the rounded ceiling above them was covered in intricate designs snaking up the walls. In the dim light, Link could make out a stone pedestal and two unlit torch stands in the center of the room.

"Will that feel any different when we fix the sword?"

"First of all, we're not 'fixing' it, my sword is _not_ broken." Ghirahim snapped, breaking away from Link. "I should tell you now. The springs aren't going to work."

"What?"

"The sacred flames worked on the Goddess Sword because it was a neutral vessel. When Hylia forged it, it was meant for the gods. You had to re-forge the blade into the Master Sword. I was tempered with a purpose, imbued with the power only Demise knew how to wield. You take that away, there will be nothing left."

"So why are we here?"

"To prove to Hylia she's wrong? I don't know, perhaps the springs will make the energy easier for you to adapt to. It won't get rid of it. Nothing less of completely melting down and reforming my blade will change the power I hold, and I do not believe either of us want that."

"No." Link shook his head. "But why are we bothering with finding the spring if it won't work?"

"If that's what Hylia wants, we'll try. They may make both of us stronger, give you the dark magic in a form you recognize. Personally, I am interested in what this Spring of Power will do. Besides, that's not all you're here for."

Link hummed in answer. "Yeah."

He could get to that later. Right now, he they were looking for the spring, whether it would work or not. He wanted to make it up to Zelda, even if she was wrong, by doing what she asked of him, and this was his chance. 

Bounding up to the wall, he squinted at the faded carvings of artwork and writing. 

"I can't read a word of this. Where in time are we?" 

Ghirahim was by his side in a flurry of diamonds.

"Hylia's plans to win the war. This is when she destroyed Demise's best soldiers, ones with vaguely human consciousness. The ones that left her for him." Ghirahim explained, a hint of contempt in his voice. 

Link traced the outline of a horned figure. It looked nothing like Ghirahim, but the keese-like wings and threatening scowl was recognizable from any children's history book. "Demons, you mean?"

"So you were listening." Ghirahim muttered, distracted as he read ahead. 

"Skyloft always taught us demons were heartless killers, like the chus and keese. The souls of the vengeful possessed the harmless remlits at night, turning our pets against us. They didn't exist anymore, just bedtime stories to scare children and keep them from running off in the dark. I didn't know... demon was a title, like 'knight' or 'soldier'."

"Or traitor." His sword added, only half listening. He seemed distant, looking out into the open room vacantly. 

"You're not the only demon I know, actually." Link mentioned, trying to pull his attention back. Ghirahim turned to face him. 

"That's... concerning. They were banished to a world of perpetual twilight for challenging the goddesses with shadow magic. Hypocritical to say, I know, but if there are any of these sorcerers left you should be cautious. I thought I was the last."

"On Skyloft." Link nodded, beginning to walk down the timeline. "He's not a demon anymore, I helped him turn human. It was a good distraction from, you know, you."

Ghirahim shrugged, following Link. "I suppose I am the last, now, if he's turned human again. Still... it's something to look out for. Wait, this may be it." 

Stopping Link, he pointed at a figure on the wall. Sword raised high, shield in hand, framed by a cape and symbolic glow, Link almost immediately recognized him. His heart beat quickened.

With a snap from Ghirahim, the torches flared to life. Link could see the full carvings now, a mixture of artwork and writing, faded green and red paints flaking off the wall. 

He didn't need to read to understand this story. It was one he had heard thousands of times, whispered around campfires, butchered and made so boring he couldn't stay awake in history lessons, recounted at every ceremony honoring the goddess. There had always been the feeling of _what if I could be like him?_ , every parent telling their children they could be as brave as the Chosen Hero or as wise as the goddess, but it _clicked_.

 _This was about him_.

Link slowly dragged his hand across the carvings, finger dipping into the grooves of once-painted lines. This was it, he thought. This was what he came for, the unfiltered legend.

He could tell Ghirahim was watching him. The silence was uncomfortable as they waited for the other to speak first, Link afraid to break the spell and Ghirahim not wanting to rush him. Finally, Link swallowed hard, fingers resting against a scene of chains and dungeon walls. 

"That almost happened to me once." He joked, taking a step back.

"Other than in Eldin?"

"Yeah, I—wait, you knew I was in Eldin?" Link questioned, whipping his head from the paintings to Ghirahim.

"Yes."

"And you didn't use that to your advantage?" 

"Who says I didn't?" Ghirahim smirked, flicking out his tongue to tease Link. "No, I know what you mean by that. I'm disappointed I couldn't pay you a visit as well. It would have been a fun setting for... interrogating you."

Link rolled his eyes. Staggering back from the playful shove Link gave him, Ghirahim continued with laughter in his voice. 

"I think it was best we didn't. There's no use dwelling on it, so don't change the subject. What could you have possibly done to warrant imprisonment?"

Link blushed, avoiding the demon's questioning gaze. Shrugging, he clarified, "Property damage."

" _What?_ "

"I broke an expensive chandelier." Link murmured sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "And some priceless pottery... and maybe had a few charges of breaking and entering against me, but those were kind of forgotten about when I, you know, saved the world."

"I'm bringing this up later." Ghirahim promised, eyes lowered suggestively. "Evidently the hero has to be kept in line."

Link quickly hid his deeper blush.

"So what does it say?" He turned their attention back to the wall.

_"Lord Dagianis, a most esteemed but now dishonored noble, accused the Chosen Hero of conspiring with the Demon King's most trusted advisor, Lord of Demons."_

Ghirahim could practically see the gears turning in Link's head. 

"You said you didn't know me!"

"I said I didn't remember. I may have lied."

"You don't remember meeting the goddess's chosen hero!"

"Look, no offense to you but humans were nearly all the same to me. Not anymore, don't give me that look. Besides, I would certainly have remembered 'conspiring' with the hero in this sense, the word used has, hm, certain connotations. Let me finish."

Link crossed his arms in annoyance. 

_"The nobles trusted him over this newcomer. There was no need for a powerful hero, much less one that wasn't on their side. And so they locked him away, to prevent further treachery."_

"I know all this, it's just the story of the hero." He whined impatiently, leaning up against Ghirahim and shifting so most of his weight was held up by the demon. "How is this going to help?"

Shoving him away, Ghirahim snapped, "Be quiet and let me read." Link rolled his eyes again. 

"As you wish, _Lord Ghirahim."_

With a sideways glance and a sickeningly sweet smile, Ghirahim teased, "Two can play at that game, **Master Link**." The knight coughed while trying to restrain his laughter, ducking away from tongue-range. 

"Shut and read." 

_"After four years Diagonis was killed by the Demon King himself. His true intentions came into light, and it was made known that he framed the Hero. The Hero's sword was retuned to him and he raised it once again in the name of Hylia."_

Link bit back another snarky comment. "Let's move on." He sighed, looking out into the wide room. "There's something in here, I know there is, but I don't think it's _here."_

"Wait, this is important." Ghirahim stopped him with a raised hand. _"Though Hylia forgave her hero, he himself did not. In order to be worthy of wielding the sword made for the gods, the Chosen Hero purified himself in the three sacred springs of the golden goddesses throughout our land."_

"That's it! And it says there are three! Does it say where?" Link asked excitedly, looking ahead in the paintings for a location or clue as to where the third spring may be hidden.

"Well..." Ghirahim hesitated, focused on the writing. 

"Please tell me this isn't anything like the Gate of Time. It was written right on the wall, the pictures couldn't have been clearer, I don't know how you couldn't figure out where the second gate was. You didn't need me to tell you. "

"Shut up. I _did_ find it eventually, and we both know that was an excuse to talk to you."

"Aw, it was?"

"Drop it." Ghirahim growled, still deciphering the Hylian runes.

"These are damaged, but I'm half positive they read _'the first was located in Faron, north of the region, in the Temple of the Sky. The second in Eldin, hidden amongst the burning seas in the Temple of the Earth. The third, the most powerful'_ —Zelda appears to be right, the missing spring correlates to the Triforce of power— _'was deep within our own land of Hyrule. In our own Temple of Time, the last spring was locked away for only those most worthy to use.'_ "

"That's helpful, right! We find the Temple of Time, we find the spring!" Motivated once again, Link began to grow excited. Even if the springs didn't work, they were one step closer to _something_. "What else does it say?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "Not much, it goes on about their plans to fight. It cuts off, obviously it was never finished." 

That was admittedly disappointing, but Link didn't let it dampen his excitement. There were dozens of other murals, and a whole castle left to explore and find the answers he needed. For now, their main goal was finding the Temple of Time. 

Link was ready to move on, but Ghirahim causally mentioned, "You know, I don't think Hylian legend is going to have what you're looking for."

He paused. Where else was there to look? Slowly, he asked for clarification. 

"You don't?"

"No. They left. I think... if it still exists, I think you need something of Sheikah origin."

Link thought back to the shrine Ghirahim hadn't translated. "Like a shrine or temple? We ran into one when we first came down here, remember?"

"That one wasn't what you were looking for, but, yes, that's where you'll find the missing pieces of your history."

Link nodded. "Okay. We can do that later. Right now, we have a bigger problem. We don't know where the Temple of Time is."

Ghirahim scoffed, turning away from the ruins to chastise him with, "Really, Link? What do you think the Sealed Grounds are?"

"The Sealed Grounds? Wait, it can't be that simple, we would have known if a third spring was there."

Already walking away, Ghirahim waved his hand dismissively. 

"Located in the land of Hylia, home to the second Gate of Time _and_ the Imprisoned's Spike. Temple of Time, Spring of Power, there's no better place. It makes sense."

Link quickly followed after him, still listening to his reasoning.

"Besides, the springs won't work in the way Her Grace wants them to, it doesn't matter that much. I say we head to Skyview Temple, get it and Eldin out of the way, and don't waste time looking for the third before we need it. I can teleport you there right now."

Link was hesitant. He wanted this work, he really did, and honestly... he trusted Ghirahim more than Zelda when it came to this. The sooner they disproved the idea, the sooner they could move on and deal with the root of the problem. Still... if, on the off chance it did work, he wanted to be ready and know everything they needed to. 

He was going to veto going straight to Skyview, but movement in the corner of his eye distracted him. On the far side of the room, near a previously overlooked exit, the shadow figure stood waiting for him. It raised its spectral hand, calling him forward, and Link nearly followed. 

"Are you coming, Link? I could do this by myself if you don't wish to, I would only need the sword." Ghirahim grabbed onto his arm, hand raised to snap. Link muttered a confirmation, shaken by his attention being pulled in three different directions. 

Link could see the figure vanish from sight, but Ghirahim had already begun to take him away.

* * *

Link clutched his stomach as he watched diamonds fade from his vision. They were at the edge of the pond, luckily, and further travel was not necessary. 

Skyview was beautiful, as always. Everywhere else on the surface may have been on the brink of coming back to life with the first breaths of spring, but this pocket seemed to forever be in summertime. It was quiet, only the sounds of the waterfalls and a few sporadic chirps from the tiny birds.

Night had fallen while they were in the castle. The sky was littered with stars, a speckled canvas above them, the dark abyss broken by a full moon. 

Walking up to the first stepping stone, Link gazed upon the Goddess statue in front of them. Her stone stare seemed uncaring, disjointed from the mortal world. He couldn't relate it to the Zelda he knew at all.

"I didn't bother to enter after Her Majesty left." Ghirahim murmured, coming up behind Link. "There was no point. It's... not exactly what I imagined."

"What were you imagining?" Link scoffed, hand reaching back to draw his sword. He glanced aside to see Ghirahim shrug.

"Grander, I suppose. Holy. It's simple, really, nothing like the temple itself. I thought it would hurt to be so close to the presence of the golden goddesses, that it would be a great battle to pull the goddess from the power of the three. I got you instead."

Link ignored his teasing insult. "The sacred flames were like that." He drew the sword, holding it out in front of them. "You could feel the heat and power even from far away. I struggled to hold onto the blade when they entered it, I think the only thing that allowed me to do so was completing the Silent Realms. I can't imagine what it must have been like for Fi."

"Hylia took away feeling for a reason." 

Link glanced his way, watching as the sword brushed his hand up the blade solemnly. He felt a tug in his chest, and wasn't sure if it was his own pain or Ghirahim's.

"Well," The sword snapped up, breaking their wandering in memories, "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Link nodded. Holding the sword above the water, he looked to Ghirahim to make sure this was what they both wanted.

"Set it in _gently,_ please." Ghirahim instructed, hand placed on his own. Link could feel power coursing through both of them, an electricity that burned and cracked as it drew near the water. A breath above the surface, Ghirahim faded into diamonds.

Link submerged the blade, releasing his grip and letting it rest on the lakebed. He stepped back, waiting for something to happen, some feeling or change like reforming the Goddess Sword had offered.

There was a long period of nothing, not even when he reached out to Ghirahim. Link was about ready to pull the blade from the water when it felt as if he was being stabbed through his heart. Gasping, he sank to his knees,

The surrounding walls echoed with a terrible screech, like swords clashing and grinding, as the water began to bubble. Panicked, Link lashed out to grab the blade, but his hand jerked back at the touch of boiling water. 

" _Ghirahim!"_

Something had very obviously gone wrong. He looked up to the sky, watching the fairly bright light fade into darkness. It was like blood was seeping into the moon, bathing the spring in a glowing hue that made his stomach churn. Ash like dots danced across his vision.

"No!" Link sobbed, gritting his teeth through the invisible pain. He couldn't feel the connection with the sword, he couldn't get it back, he was lost and didn't know what to do.

Zelda never said anything about this. Zelda would have told him if she had to go through this. He had told her everything he faced on his quest, breaking down in tears as he recounted the silent realms and the last battle, tucked away in the darkness of her room. She had whispered what it was like to be stuck in the crystal for thousands of years, to have her soul sacrificed and nearly consumed. He told her what it felt like to die. She told him how sometimes living was worse. 

He didn't know what went wrong. What was happening. What he did wrong. Ghirahim said it wouldn't work. Zelda said it wouldn't hurt. This was what she told him to do, right? Start with Skyview, the Spring of Wisdom—

No. Not the Spring of Wisdom. 

They were wrong. The missing spring was not the Spring of Power, _Skyview_ was.

And Link had just submerged Ghirahim's blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for writing this chapter include:
> 
> "I think it would be very sexy of me to become even more unstable"- Ghirahim


	8. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that I am choosing not to use OCs :)

Link wasn't sure how long it was before he lost consciousness. Disoriented, exhausted, struggling to breath from panic and pain, trapped until this nightmare ended, he would wait. 

When the sun rose, it was as if nothing had happened. The dawn light lit the waterfalls, reflecting tiny rainbows as the sounds of wildlife returned. It was peaceful again, returned to the way they found the place. Nothing to even say it hadn't been a dream.

Link laid prone on the damp stones, dew collecting on his skin and clothes, shielding his eyes from the light. He didn't move for several minutes, too sore and stiff to try, too fearful of what he would find.

He couldn't wait forever. Wincing as he sat up, the knight leveled his breathing, taking in the damage. He was sore. Not a problem, he would live. Evidence of what happened last night was gone. Okay, at least it was over, not a constant or new normal. The sword was still in the water.

Ghirahim.

Link felt his bones crack as he crawled to the water's edge, the blade resting neatly at the bottom. It laid silently beneath the water, each tiny wave washing over the surface and distorting the image. It seemed... empty.

Link's hand hovered at the surface, touching but not breaking the tension. It didn't hurt anymore, the cool spring once again as he remembered it, but he still dreaded reaching in. 

He took a deep breath. It caught in his throat. He reached down, the sudden rush of feeling in his hand enough of a distraction that he barely felt his fingers wrapping around the handle. And so he waited for a sign. 

Nothing. No voice, no feeling. It was a sword. That was all.

Link withdrew the blade, watching the water stream off the metal and back into the spring. It didn't look different, the same as when it changed to fit his skills, no damage at all. This didn't even feel like it was sleeping, it felt _lifeless_. There was **nothing**. He set it on dry land, hand still on the hilt, and closed his eyes.

"Ghirahim?" He called out, desperate for answer, pouring his heart into getting one. He felt something in the sword flare to life, a energy exiting the blade with a chime.

When he opened his eyes, his sword spirit was waiting for him, silent and still.

"You called for me, Master?"

This was wrong. Ghirahim was emotionless, void of his usual mockery or arrogance, not even hiding behind a smirk. It took Link a minute to recognize he was in his other form, dark with intricate patterns leading to his still exposed core, cracked and glowing consistently. He was sure the glow used to pulse like a heartbeat. 

"I am at your command, Master, what is it you wish from me?" The spirit repeated, metallic voice robotic and concise. It wasn't Ghirahim.

"No you're not." Link snapped, frustrated and panicking, scrambling from his place on the ground. "What happened? Ghirahim, what's wrong?"

The sword did not answer, pausing as if calibrating. Tilting his head up slightly, he responded, "Is this not what you wanted? Control?"

"No! No, what, that's not at all what—what _happened?"_

"You placed the sword within the Spring of Power. It will now follow your will completely. There is no longer any room for resistance. Din has given it her blessing of obedience. May you have power over those you wish to command." The spirit explained, voice nearly monotone. 

Link groaned. 

"How do we fix this?"

"It does not need to be fixed."

At least he was still stubborn. Crossing his arms, Link amended, "How do we get you back to normal, then?"

Another pause, another moment to process Link's question. Ghirahim responded with the same soulless confusion.

"I do not understand your request."

"Back to normal! Back to, you know, making fun of me and having your own opinions and fighting me over them all the time! Your overprotectiveness and dominance, anything! I'd even settle for one of your outbursts!" Link begged, fist squeezed around the hilt of the sword. His turmoil was ignored.

"I apologize for my previous behavior. It was not fitting for a sword. I will not fail you as I did with my previous master."

Link's heart broke. Every conversation about their past, every vulnerable confession, every whispered promise to do better, for both of them, all rendered useless in this relapse. 

"No..." Link whispered, stepping close to him to raise his hand to the spirit's face. He received no reaction. "Ghirahim... no... I thought we were past this. Don't do this to me."

"I do not understand your request."

Sighing, Link let his hand drop. He wasn't going to get anything out of Ghirahim while he was like this.

It hit him. He was acting like Fi.

It wasn't ideal, but he could work with this. Fi had changed throughout their mission together. Over the course of a few months, she had undone thousands of years of programming, relearning what Hylia had taken from her. Maybe, if they started quickly, Ghirahim would go back to normal sooner. This could be temporary.

Glancing back at the water, he considered his options from here on out. One, go straight to Skyloft and get Zelda's help. He didn't want to do this alone, but something told him Zelda wouldn't be so... understanding. She'd say it was for the best, having Ghirahim locked in this new cage, unable to do or say anything unless it benefited Link. Not the best option.

Two, wait. Let this happen without telling Zelda. Lie a little more. Try to get Ghirahim to relearn every thing he lost. Zelda suggested there was a time limit anyway! If he didn't get to the other springs soon enough, this would all blow over, they could try again later with the right order in mind.

Then again, the limit had almost definitely already passed. 

Link wasn't sure if he could keep the lie up anyway.

Which left him with one more option. Go to the other springs, finish the job. It didn't matter which order he did them in now, they had messed it up on the first try. 

It seemed to be the best plan. Link had made up his mind. Sheathing the sword, he returned his attention to the spirit, one last request on his mind. He felt sick asking it of him.

"I'm going to the other springs. I'll call for you if I need anything. Please... stay in the sword."

Link avoided looking at him, not wanting to see his lack of emotional reaction. Everything about banishing Ghirahim to the blade felt wrong, ordering him to stay inside, but he couldn't take it. It was selfish, he knew, having Ghirahim pay the consequences for his mistake.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Ghirahim bow. He turned away. 

"Yes, Master Link."

* * *

Outside of Skyview, Link stood at the bird statue, weighing his options. The fastest way to get to Eldin, where he was 100 percent positive the next spring was waiting, would be on his bird. He could take the risk of going to the sky and being seen, or worse, followed, or he could take the long way around and get to Eldin by walking. Then again, he'd have to deal with the Kikwis and Mogmas. He was going to take his chances with the sky.

He couldn't ask Ghirahim to get him there with magic. He didn't want to put any more strain on the spirit, and Link was afraid he wouldn't tell him if it was too much, or say no if he asked. He was walking on eggshells now, dancing around keeping himself safe and getting Ghirahim back, versus not doing something Ghirahim would resent him for when he _did_ get him back. (He was going to. He had to.)

Link tugged his sailcloth from his pouch. The same one he had used since Zelda gave it to him, once so comforting as he fought to find her. His fingers slipped through the worn fabric, brushing over frayed ends and faded pattern. It was only ever meant to be ceremonial, not made for extended use. It would be time to retire it soon and get a real one. Once this was over, Link promised himself he would.

Straightening his shoulders, Link reached for the bird statue, beginning to recite the prayer for a gust of wind. His chant faltered, distracted by movement once again in the corner of his eye.

"Not now," he grumbled, nearly ripping the sailcloth as he tightened his grip. "I don't care who or what you are, I'm not following this time."

He ignored the figure. Maybe he was imaging the feeling of another's disappointment washing over him, maybe it was just his guilty conscience. Real or not, Link finished the incitement, and unfurled his sailcloth to float to the sky.

* * *

It was an uneventful journey to Eldin. An uneventful fall to the entrance of the Earth Temple, not even the usual bokoblins to fight. Link was grateful, the less he had to use the sword the better. 

Having already done this dungeon, it was easy for him to run through the halls, bypassing the puzzles and occasional lava burst. He didn't even feel the heat anymore, Fireshield Earrings flashing as he ducked around the vents and craters. An easy in, and hopefully an easy out.

When he came to the last door, he hesitated. This was, in all honestly, the last place Link wanted to return to. Memories of "you were too late, hero" and Zelda disappearing into the column of light flashed through his mind. He sighed, pushing them away. He didn't need this now.

Seconds from the door opening, Link heard a roar echo through the chamber, and he whipped around, instinctively drawing his sword. More lizalfos, the normal kind, were climbing the slope. 

Looking back, it would have been better for him to ignore the enemies and keep going through to the spring, but his fight or flight response kicked in, and he readying his sword. He knew he shouldn't, but after the flashback to being told he was useless as a hero, he subconsciously needed to prove himself again. 

He had the high ground, this would be an easy fight. Without Ghirahim in his right mind, Link didn't bother to attempt another ranged attack, and let the first of the two lizafos jump at him, easily deflecting the strike and sending it rolling down the slope. Locking in on the other, he raised his sword. 

In a diagonal swing, he brought the blade down, and it was as if everything was in slow motion. Only the sound of blood pumping in his ears. The blade was followed by a dark cloud of black and red sparks, power coursing through both him and the sword, building up until it felt like it would erupt. When it connected with the shoulder guard on the monster, it cracked the metal in two, slicing through the tissues and tendons, cutting clean across its torso. The blade left the body with satisfyingly no resistance, scraping the tile as Link rebounded from the move with a spin. He smiled as the enemy dissipated into the cloud of smoke, barley aware of the blood dripping down his cheek.

As suddenly as it began, Link was broken from his small world of only him and the enemy to slaughter, the blaze of lava and roar of the other monster returning all at once. He stumbled back, blinking in shock at what he had done. 

It took another moment for the horror to set in, one he didn't have time to take. The second lizalfos was back and ready to fight again, knocking Link down with a strike of its tail. The sword clattered against the floor, leaving him defenseless. He scrambled back, panting heavily as he ducked out of range, pawing blindly at the ground for his weapon. He found nothing. Looking up, he found himself underneath the shadow of a raised mace.

"Get down!"

The voice snapped him from his frozen fear, and Link rolled back out of the way. Dropping from the dragon's head, a new fighter appeared, placing themselves between Link and the lizalfos.

He didn't recognize them, by voice or appearance, shrouded in a dark cloak. They didn't appear to be armed. Confused, Link rose to his knees, watching as the warrior stepped back defensively. 

Their appearance startled the lizalfos, who had lost its balance and reeled down the slope. Shaking its head to get back on track, it roared a warning before charging forward. 

Link lunged for his sword, but the new person was quicker. They threw their arm out, palm open, as a disk of blue light sliced through the monster. It too vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving nothing, not even a bloodstain, behind.

Link sank back on his calves. Catching his breath, he stared wide-eyed at the newcomer in awe. 

What they had done was... light magic, like Ghirahim's but bright, like Zelda's but for an attack. The cloaked warrior stared ahead before turning back, face obstructed from Link's view.

He couldn't tell who they were. The hood covered their hair, their face was mostly masked, their clothes were nondescript and tight fitting, made for movement but blocked by the cape. He thought he could see a vague red insignia on their chest.

Still disoriented and muddled, Link only blinked up at them. Forgetting all manners, he blurted out, "Who are you?"

The figure seemed to glare at him. They stepped around Link, making their way to the door he had been about to exit out of.

"We've met." They said shortly, tugging their cape closer around their body. "It doesn't matter who I am. You can't die on me yet."

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that," Link mumbled, shifting to stand from his place on the floor, "... thanks?"

"No need. As I said, Hylia's Chosen Hero needs to stay alive."

Awkwardly nodding, Link ruffled his hair. Busying himself with wiping his blade, he waited for the other to explain or leave. Their presence was intimidating.

"That's not your usual sword." They remarked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. 

"No, it's not the Master Sword." Link confirmed simply, not really wanting to explain what it actually was. 

"No, that's not what I meant. I know where the Master Sword rests. That, which you are holding, is a hollow shell of what it should be."

"You can tell?" Link whispered, looking down at the blade. "I'm trying to fix it."

The figure nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry. I pray he returns to you."

Link was curious now. This person knew about Ghirahim, knew something he didn't, and knew him though he couldn't tell who they were.

"So... you're here because...?" He questioned, sheathing his blade. 

"I was looking for you. I hate to inform you, but your assistance is still required, Chosen Hero."

"What now?" Link groaned helplessly, trudging forward. "I'm sorry, I'm a little busy right now, I can't exactly help with my sword in its current state."

"I know." The warrior stated simply, their matter-of-factness getting on Link's nerves, "Which is why you need the Master Sword."

"Why?"

"Don't ask. You need the Master Sword, hero."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Only those close to Hylia know of the Silent Trials you faced. Does this gain your trust?"

Link froze, hand on the door. 

"I can't do that."

"Yes, you can, the only trouble is—"

"No, I don't think _you_ understand." Link interrupted, facing the person head on and still unable to tell who they were. "I can't get to the Master Sword. It's sealed, and it holds the last of Demise in its blade, drawing it would start the cycle all over again."

"The Master Sword is not in your world anymore."

That didn't make sense. Frustrated, Link stuttered broken sounds, unsure how to respond. 

"Not—what do you mean not in this world, it's in the Sealed Temple, it's safe there. It has to be!" Groaning, Link pushed open the door to the Earth Spring. "I don't have time for this, get back to me when I can actually fight."

The other reached out to grab his arm, stopping Link before he could walk farther into the chamber.

"Wait. Let me explain." They pleaded, still stiff and emotionless. Link stilled, crossing his arms.

"Then explain."

"The goddesses have found... a technical difficulty. The sword needs to be moved."

"That doesn't sound like it's my problem, then." Link snapped, surprising himself. He felt guilt, mildly ashamed in the back of his mind, but he was right. He had done his part, why was this his problem to fix?

Turning away, Link began his descent down the hall and up the stairs. He could hear the click of footsteps behind him, but he ignored them.

" _Hero_." The warrior snarled, following him. "Your task is **far** from over. If you had done your part correctly the first time, you wouldn't be in this situation."

At that, Link spun around, drawing Ghirahim's sword. " _If I had done it correctly the first time?_ What's that supposed to mean? I did everything I was meant to, I did my part! Demise is dead, isn't that the whole point! Why is it my fault if the gods fucked up the rest?"

His teeth were bared, blade held out and ready to strike. Anger coursed through him, an energy drawing from the power within the sword. He felt like a bow about to snap.

"You did not defeat the sword you hold."

His sword fell. Stumbling back, Link looked down at his hand, horrified at what he had been about to do. They were right. If Link had been able to defeat Ghirahim, he wouldn't have taken Zelda to the past. He wouldn't have resurrected Demise. 

"No..." He shook his head hopelessly, sinking to his knees. "I... it was over, I did it, I did what I had to..."

He was near a break down, this new piece of information the last thing he needed. Damn it, he had to find a way to get Ghirahim back, he couldn't go through this alone.

"I'm sorry. It will be simple, just relocate the sword. I need you to come with me."

"No..." Link murmured, slipping the fallen blade back into his hand. "I need... I need to do this first, I can't... without him, I'm sorry...."

The figure's formal persona slipped, one of annoyance showing through for a second.

"He'll be here when you come back, just come with me, _now_."

Link gripped the hilt harder. "No. I need to finish this first." Standing up, he stood his ground, defiantly staring down the figure. "I'm done being ordered around. I'll fix my mistake, but on my own terms."

"There are greater things to worry about than your _companion_ ," The warrior stated bluntly, their posture tensing as well. Link didn't want this to end in a fight, but he would fight if he had to. "I'll explain if you just come with me."

"I'm not going until I get him back."

The two were silent, waiting for one to give in. The tension in the room grew, the sweat forming on Link's brow not just from the fire of Eldin.

"Fine." The warrior conceded, stepping back. "Just get this over with."

Link still held his ground, waiting for them to take back their word or strike when his back was turned, but they did not move. Relaxing, only a little, he turned to the spring.

His hesitation when he held the blade over the water was causing him to shake, but he knew the warrior was still watching him. Holding his breath, he let the blade dip beneath the surface.

Unlike the Spring of Power, this spring did not bubble. A burst of water shot up from where the blade rested, but that was all that signified something had changed. Link reached back in, drew the blade out, and called for his sword spirit.

"Ghirahim?"

"You called, Master?"

Link sighed. It didn't work, but at least it wasn't worse. "Sorry, that was a mistake."

"Good, we can go now."

Link jumped when the warrior spoke from right behind him. He hadn't noticed they moved.

"Wait, it's not... nothing's changed, I don't know that it worked."

"It did. Trust me."

"How do you know?" Link snapped, subtly stepping so he was in between Ghirahim and the stranger. This felt like something that should only be between him and Ghirahim, like they were intruding on a very private matter. They sighed, less annoyed with Link and more like they were explaining something to a small child.

"You don't know how the springs work, do you?"

Link did not grace them with an answer. 

"Unlike the flames, which temper the sword's abilities as a entity in and of itself, the springs temper the blade to the one who wields it. He's of more use to you now, he'll be more helpful in battle. Ask for advice."

Link was hesitant, but he held up the blade anyway. As he would often do with Fi, he gently commanded, "Ghirahim, analysis." 

"A report, Master Link. I detect no hostile auras nearby. I can predict your immediate safety within 80% certainty."

"Thanks." Link whispered, the similarities between him and Fi even more apparent. It _hurt_ , to lose both of them, and yet be so close. "I guess... I don't need you anymore."

"Understood, Master."

Link watched as Ghirahim faded away with a chime, filling the sword with light before it was snuffed out. He sighed, turning back to the strange warrior.

"What else exactly were you expecting from the Spring of Wisdom?" They questioned, impatient to move on. "You achieved Nayru's blessing of guidance, and if you'd like some more, this isn't going to solve all your problems. You need all three pieces."

Dejectedly, Link nodded in agreement. "I know... I just.... I want him back."

Though he couldn't see their face, Link felt they were rolling their eyes at him. He tensed up, glaring at the floor.

"Let's move on, if we're to make the journey all the way to Skyview Temple before returning to the Gate of Time."

"I've been there already." Link corrected, following them as they began to exit the temple. "That's what got me into this mess."

"You haven't been to the Spring of Courage yet? That... works well for both of us. I trust you know where it is?" 

"Sealed Temple, right? Otherwise known as the Temple of Time?"

"It hasn't been called that for many years, but yes, that is where both of us need you to be. If we travel fast, we may reach it before nightfall."

And so, Link followed the mysterious stranger back to the sky.

* * *

They had left Link at the statue, saying they would meet him at the temple. It was faster for them both to use their preferred method of travel. Jumping off his bird and landing at his usual entrance point, Link walked to the entrance, where the stranger was already waiting for him.

"It's where you left it, let's go."

"Spring first." Link wasn't going to budge on this. Frustrated, the warrior scoffed, shaking their cloaked head. 

"Fine. Spring first, but the sword is vital." 

Ignoring them, Link walked ahead, pushing open the heavy doors. He paused, looking back for the figure to follow, embarrassed to admit he didn't actually know where he was going.

"So, you seem to know more about this than me, I don't actually _know_ where the spring—"

" _Quiet_." The other ordered, cutting Link off with an open palm. Link bristled indignantly, but the warrior hushed him again, swinging their arm out in an open circle, as if drawing a protective charm. 

"There's something here that shouldn't be. Get behind me."

"I can fight for myself, thanks."

"No," The warrior laughed, "I don't think you can. This is dark magic, way beyond what you're capable of handling with your blade the way it is."

Though he was still annoyed, Link obeyed, stepping closer to the warrior into their shield of light. They took a step forward, gesturing for Link to follow, and sent a burst of magic into the temple.

It illuminated a flock of keese hiding on the ceiling, their squeaks grinding on Link's ears. He rolled his eyes, he could have fought these. 

"It's just some _keese_ , I've fought these countless times. Magic or not, they're easy to take down." He started stepping forward, out of the light shield, sword drawn and raised to fight.

"Wait—!"

He didn't listen, which was, admittedly, a mistake. The flock descended on him the moment his boots touched the temple stones, their dark aura paralyzing Link from using his sword or shield. 

"What did I tell you?" The warrior growled, jumping into battle. Their counter magic shot out, but it wasn't enough to take down the whole flock. Dragging Link back into their circle of protection, they roughly smacked him upside the head. 

Cheeks heating up, Link slashed out with his sword. He remained silent, grunting with the effort of fending off the hoard attacking them, avoiding an answer.

It wasn't the worst he had fought, protected under the light. He didn't try to use the power, even went as far as to block it off so he couldn't, and wasn't affected by the other energy anymore. His temporary partner was holding their own, and slowly, they cut their way through the flock.

Link had just taken out a whole row with a swing when the barrier faltered. Disoriented, caught in the spell, he couldn't attack, and took a few hits himself. 

He swung around, looking back to see if he had just stepped too far, and saw the stranger overwhelmed. They threw their hands up, blocking off a swoop at them, but it wasn't enough.

His traveling companion's hood fell back, and in the midst of the battle, Link caught a glimpse of blonde hair. Their wide eyes met his for a moment, and he could have sworn they were red.

Before he could get a good look, the hood was back up, and the warrior yelled, "Duck!" 

He obeyed, just in time for a wide ranged attack of light to take down the rest of the keese. Their bodies dropped to the floor, disappearing in burst of smoke without any other signs of a fight. A few scattered dark crystals littered the floor.

Panting, the warrior stopped to catch their breath, leaning over with hands on their knees.

Link stood up. He awkwardly waited for them to say something, for a good time to continue, for any sign. He shifted from foot to foot, tapping his fingers against the hilt of his blade.

When the stranger was ready, they too straightened their posture. Stomping forward, they backed Link up against the stairs to the Gate of Time. 

"What is wrong with you? Why won't you listen to me! You could have gotten us both killed, and then who would be left to protect this world? Do you really want to leave the fate of eternity on your best friend?"

Link shook his head, scrambling back up the steps. The Gate flared to life, and he found himself caught between the angry fighter and being sent back in time.

"No, no, you don't get to back out of this now, I have something to show you."

The warrior grabbed the front of his tunic, dragging him back down and around the gate. Link protested feebly, but they wouldn't have it, shoving him up the back steps and through the doors where the Master Sword lay beyond.

Expect it didn't. 

"It's not here. If it's not here, where the hell is it?"

Link demanded to know, whirling around to face the figure again. They stared ahead, lost in memory. Calmed considerably, they sighed, shoulders sinking as they stepped forward to the pedestal the sword should have rested in.

"After your fight with the Demon King, you left the Blade of Evil's Bane in a world where he was defeated before he had a chance to rise. The remnants of his soul rest in that timeline, where there was no need for a hero from Skyloft. Where the spirit of the hero does not _exist_. This world saw Demise wished away on the Triforce. He is no more in this land. The hero's spirit, the reincarnation of the Hero and the Goddess Hylia, they have been separated from their counter part."

Their hand brushed over the stone, distant. Attention back to Link, they finally divulged the reason they were here.

"You'll find the Master Sword beyond the Gate. Do not worry about the guardian."

"She's not there?"

"She will be, just not at this time, if I am correct. I have set the Gate to a time I know she is missing from the Temple, you'll be able to get in and get out without alerting her."

"But... what will she do?"

The stranger stiffened, hand clenching into a fist. "Her best. She'll... understand, eventually."

Link nodded solemnly. "I can do that. But, first, the Spring of Courage...?"

"Somewhere under the Temple." The warrior waved him off, dismissing him. "Go, if that's what's more important to you."

The words stung. Ghirahim was important to him, but Link was realizing he was choosing him over the fate of the world. Sighing, he sank to the floor, sitting down to watch the gate tick.

"Oh, what now?" The warrior groaned, increasingly losing their temper with him. Link ignored them.

"I need to know. If I had... if I had killed Ghirahim, would this have happened?"

"Easy answer? No." The stranger paused, watching Link's head drop to his chest, but stepped behind him. "The truth? You couldn't have killed him. He was far too powerful, and no matter how you tried, I don't think you could have done it."

"Because I'm a weak failure of a hero?" Link mumbled, embarrassed at the tears stinging his eyes. He was glad he was facing away, but jumped when the warrior sat behind him, folding their legs under themselves and placing a hand on his back.

"No. Because you care too much, as a hero should. You saved him, Link, as you're saving him now." They patted his back awkwardly, unsure of how else to offer comfort.

"You're not a failure as the hero. I know many others, myself included, are very harsh on you, but... we don't understand. Hylia did not chose us for a reason. You, Link, are the only person who even thought to see the good in people, to forgive those who hurt you, teach your friends love, save those so far gone even Hylia rejected them... wishing away Demise wasn't the easy way out. The Triforce can only be used by those worthy, and _you_ were chosen, not even Hylia reincarnate." 

Link was freely crying now, tears dripping onto the blade. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, hiding his face from the uncannily familiar stranger.

"And... I have been pushing you. I think we need rest. In the morning, I'll help you and you sword regain your bond. Then... only if you want to, there is one more task we ask of you, Chosen Hero. Please, grant us your strength once more."


	9. Emptiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link plans to use the final spring and retrieve the Master Sword.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably should have specified this, but from what I took from Skyward Sword's "untranslatable ancient Hylian", it meant different alphabet but same language. So Link and Zelda can understand Ghirahim, Impa, Fi, etc., but they wouldn't be able to read the writing. Like if you wrote a Romance language with the Cyrillic alphabet.

They both agreed it was best for Link to wait the night before journeying to the past, or using the last spring. He said goodnight, after the stranger was sure he wasn't going to leave for the sky, and tucked himself away in a corner with Ghirahim's sword.

He regarded the sword with a mournful look as moonlight danced off the blade, shimmering against the black metal. Oh, what he would give to have Ghirahim back. That was the problem.

Picking the blade from the ground, Link raised it to his forehead in some mockery of affection, sighing at the useless gesture. Ghirahim was silent, as he had been since Skyview.

"I just got you back, I'm not losing you again."

The whisper carried farther through the temple than he anticipated, echoing off the walls with an eerie feedback. He glanced to where the warrior had camped by the door, covered in their cape as they laid at rest, but he was sure they were still awake. He had a feeling neither would be sleeping tonight.

He was lonely. Once again, he found himself missing life before all this, before learning of his destiny as the chosen hero. He had been so much happier then, blissfully ignorant to the troubles of the surface. More than that, he missed Ghirahim. It was torture, to have him so close yet so far. He fought with himself whether it was worth it to call the spirit out or not.

In the end, he couldn't control himself. He was still shaken from the news that his quest wasn't over, and needed comfort even if it came with such a steep price.

"Ghirahim..." He murmured, running a hand along the shining blade. It flared to life, chime echoing off the walls (he was sure the stranger had heard _that)_ , and the sword spirit appeared in front of him.

"Yes, Master Link?"

Link pulled his knees to his chest, resting his head in disappointment. 

"Can you... stay out here, for the night? If you want?"

Ghirahim did not respond. That was strange. Looking back the the spirit, afraid he had overstepped a boundary but happy that he was at least fighting it, Link was surprised to see Ghirahim sit down next to him. 

It gave him a sliver of hope. Smiling to himself, Link scooted closer, giving Ghirahim a chance to move away if he wanted. He did not.

It was nice, and Link could almost pretend things were normal. Leaning his head against Ghirahim's shoulder, he let his eyes fall shut.

He fought to stay awake, though. He was still suspicious of this stranger, even if they saved him and claimed to know him. Link twisted so his forehead was resting against cool metal, and laced his fingers with the other's.

"I don't how much you know about what's going on, but I'm working to fix it. You really messed everything up when you cheated me out of using the Triforce correctly." He laughed softly, and he could almost imagine the indignant response and denial the sword was to blame for this. "It's not over yet."

Explaining the current situation was helping him stay awake. It was more talking than he usually did at once, describing tiny details he was sure the sword had missed and wouldn't have cared about if he was fully conscious anyway, but Link found comfort in letting all his worries pour out to someone who would listen. Even if they didn't really have a choice.

"You probably won't remember this." Link whispered, finishing his stories. It was getting harder and harder not to yawn with every breath, harder to keep his eyes from slipping shut and staying closed. "I'm sorry this happened. I'm getting you back, I promise. I miss you."

He was scared. Losing Ghirahim, the real Ghirahim, had shocked him to his core. It was like the tornado all over again, the fear he wouldn't be good enough to get back what he lost, treading on uncertainty and doubt, feelings of utter inadequacy. He had failed Ghirahim, just as he failed Zelda in Eldin, just as he had been unable to stop him from raising Demise. He was afraid of never getting him back, never getting the chance to say everything he had ignored because it wasn't the right time. 

This wasn't helping. If there was one thing he had learned, it was that he would make it work in the end. This wasn't the end. 

Squeezing Ghirahim's hand tighter, Link took in a deep breath. There were a few things he still wanted to say.

"This isn't how we end. I know right now you think everything's okay, but it's not. I know you, I know the real you, and this isn't what you'd want. I'll get it back. Your smile and your—your laugh, your anger, your annoyance. The way you light up with every emotion, your passion and fire. I'll help you heal again, we can work through this _together._ You need me as much as I need you. I need you." He repeated, over and over like a prayer until he was sure he could accept it. 

And he did. He needed Ghirahim. He needed him like a sword needs a knight, like a sunrise needs a sunset, like the surface needs the sky. He was finally coming to terms with just how much he was placing on his sword, how, if they were on different sides of the war now, he would make all the wrong choices. It terrified him, scared him that he felt willing to risk so much for what so many would call so little, this insatiable desire that burned inside him and fought with everything he knew. He needed Ghirahim to know, even if he would never feel the same way, just how far the extent of their relationship was reaching.

Voice barely above a murmur, Link breathed a confession of "Ghirahim, I l—"

"Master, your report is appreciated, but you are growing tired. If you wish to be at optimal health in the morning, you require sleep."

He stopped himself. This wasn't the time. He was tired and emotional and almost made a mistake he would definitely regret. Nodding softly, he let his hand slip from Ghirahim's.

"I know. But, I don't think... not with them here." He tilted his head in the stranger's direction.

"I cannot detect their aura. However, the chance of it being hostile is less than a quarter, Master Link. You need to rest." The sword paused, going back on his words. "This is only a suggestion, of course. I will keep watch."

Too tired to argue, Link let his torso fall to the ground. There would be time to talk in the morning.

As Link shifted to find a comfortable position on the stone ground, he was aware of the spirit watching him, calculating. He didn't question it, but rolled to over in case he offered an explanation.

"Data suggests you require warmth and comfort for optimal sleeping conditions." 

Link breathed a laugh. "I mean, yeah, that's how I would describe a bed."

"Are you in need of that now? I can assist you."

Link felt his heart skip a beat. 

"Uh, yeah, s-sure..." He nodded enthusiastically, waiting to see what Ghirahim would do. The sword spirit laid down next to him, barely an inch away, but not touching. Link's pulse sped up, and he carefully brought his hand to the other's chest.

He was silent, holding his breath as he waited for some response, knowing none would come. Letting his fingers drift across the faint diamond patterned collar bones, Link's gaze was drawn in by something else.

His core. The bright red diamond, scarred with faded cracks, was pulsing again. A gentle shift in the light, a soft flicker instead of a solid glow, and though he had only seen it twice, this was more familiar than Ghirahim had been in the past twenty four hours. Link's breath caught in his throat, trying to remember how to properly function, as his touch slid down.

The gem was warm under his fingertips, like dying embers, but it felt _alive_. Smiling, almost laughing, Link gently pressed down.

Ghirahim flinched under his touch, and Link swore he heard a soft whine of discomfort. 

"Master... please don't. . ."

The spirit froze up.

Link drew his hand back immediately. His heart was racing as he watched Ghirahim's face for the hint of an emotion again. 

It wasn't there.

The glow went constant.

"Forgive me. It is not my place to ask of you."

"No, no no no, please, that's..." Link pressed his head against the other's chin. "That's perfect. This is what I want. I want you to... feel, and to stop me, to enforce boundaries and tell me no. I don't... I don't need a tool. I need a friend."

His breath finally released itself, lungs back to normal, and Link rolled away. 

"You can go into the sword, if you want." He conceded, still desperate for attention, but he didn't want to do anything that would make Ghirahim uncomfortable. Even if the sword went back to his emotionless follower persona a second later.

Link heard a shuffle, a slight scrape of metal against the ground, and he felt arms wrap around him once more. When it came, the whisper was soft, a secret of denial.

"No."

It gave him hope.

* * *

Dawn brought a warmth that Link was grateful for. Even though the seasons were warming, the night had still been cold, and as happy as he was to have Ghirahim at his side, the sword did not offer much heat. Yawning and stretching, Link dug around in his pouch for whatever he had left to eat.

He didn't see the stranger anywhere, and that worried him. Anxious in the solitude, he asked Ghirahim if he could stay out of the blade a little longer, reluctant to ask anything else of him but considering this was part of the same request as last night.

After he was fully awake, Link wandered around the temple, sword strapped to his back and once again quiet, searching for the warrior. It wouldn't have surprised him if they had just been a hallucination, a dream.

Link came to the steps leading to the empty pedestal, and sighed. They were gone, if they were ever here. Still, the stone stood waiting for a sword, and Link knew what he had to do.

But first, the spring. It was somewhere in this building, somewhere hidden from those unworthy. 

Jogging up the steps, Link looked out over the open space, not seeing any side passages he missed or strange stones in the ground signaling a secret entrance. He felt discouraged, but wasn't going to give up hope.

The Gate's deep grinding resounded through the chamber, drowning out most of the outside sound. Link barely heard the chime to his left, but still whipped around to face whatever made it.

Nothing. It was empty. Sighing, Link sheathed his sword once more, mentally hitting himself for his paranoia. He kept turning, and noticed the large sealed doors were cracked open.

He hadn't been in there since Zelda woke from her centuries long sleep. Creeping forward, Link gently pushed on the mossy stone, letting their momentum drive them the rest of the way.

The broken shards of amber were still littering the ground, but the thick vines had been pushed aside. Behind where the crystal had rested for thousands of years, a open tunnel showed a deep, twisting staircase.

That had to be it.

Link followed the path, the sunlight turning to torch light, and tread down the slippery stairway, a strange, winding passage he thought was meant to keep wanderers out. He came to a fork in the road, with two identical passages, each as black as night.

This was where he stopped. There was a faint carving between the two, but, as with the ruins of the castle, he couldn't read them. A frustrated puff of air, and Link crossed his arms, looking between the two.

It was a test, he could guess that. One was the right way, the other a dead end, that kind of thing. He only hoped the dead end wasn't a death trap. 

A louder groan of frustration, and Link ran his hand across the runes he couldn't read. He could have called Ghirahim, but he was stubborn, and something told him he had to do this alone.

Tracing the pictures, Link examined them closely, not recognizing any of the markings from his ancient Hylian textbooks. They weren't Hylian, at least. They looked as if they were just carvings made to distract from the bigger picture. 

He stared at them intently. The Triforce, in the middle, was obvious, he could understand that. It looked like Din and Nayru had their symbols as well... Farore's was missing. The piece was to the right, so the hint must be the right tunnel was the correct way.

Link was about to step into the dark when he stopped. It couldn't be that easy. It had been a puzzle, and he had solved it with logic, a much more "triforce of wisdom" thing to do.

This wasn't about overthinking it. This _wasn't_ a puzzle, as it first appeared, but it was a test. A test of instinct, of courage. To have faith the goddess would guide her chosen hero.

Link stepped back. Once again faced with the decision, he looked between the identical tunnels, wishing he had Fi to help. He did have Ghirahim...

Ghirahim wasn't the Goddess Sword. This wasn't about letting his path be chosen for him. Taking a deep breath, Link marched forward through the right tunnel anyway. 

A door slammed behind him, trapping him in the darkness. He jumped, sword drawn, listening for a sound, and kept his guard up. No way out now.

At the end of the passageway, a faint blue light lit the walls. Familiar, Link thought. Like the dreams he had before his journey.

Pacing down the hall, kept moving forward, ignoring countless side passages and sword still out and ready to strike. Nothing ambushed him, no trip wires or secret traps, and when he reached the end, he was rewarded with an open chamber. It was ethereal, luminous with the magic plants of Faron Woods, soft pink specks of the fairies he had only seen several times, damp and humid and full of life.

In the center of the jungle, a raised platform protruded from the ground, echoing drops of water dripping from the cavern above. The stranger was waiting, faced away, as they watched the ripples in the water.

"The Spring of Courage." They murmured in response to Link's approaching steps, "Farore's blessing of freedom. May you have the strength and courage to accept."

Crawling onto the platform, Link stared into the crystal water. It looked the same as the others, unassuming and harmless.

He knew better.

"This is going to work?"

"I don't know. It should, but I honestly can't tell you I'm 100% positive."

Gulping, Link nodded in answer. Sword in hand, he watched the rings of water fade as the pool stilled, like it was waiting for him.

"Here goes nothing..."

Setting the sword into the final spring, Link backed away from the water's edge. He waited a beat, another, a few more moments, and nothing happened.

Skyview had been instant. Eldin took a little longer, but this. . . there was nothing there. Link walked forward, accepting if something happened he wasn't going to see it, but the stranger stopped him.

"Wait. This choice isn't yours to make."

Link blinked in surprise, following the order. Their gaze was set on the blade, resting beneath the still waves, watching for some sign. They would wait more.

Link could feel it before he saw it. He felt it in his chest, like a string tugging his heart forward, filling him with overpowering hope and peace. Like a lock clicking into place and fitting together, like cutting the final piece off a carving. He felt strong, felt the power flow once more, and this time, he didn't fear it.

The blade glowed with the red light, distorted by the water moving as if a breeze was blowing over it. The image shifted, back to the monstrous weapon Demise wielded, gone the next second. Link stepped forward.

He didn't notice when he stepped into the spring, water lapping at his calves, he was too focused on the blade before him. It beamed brighter, almost white, a flash of light before the chime resounded through the cavern, the whole weapon disappearing into a tight ball of the same glow. Laughing, _crying_ gently as the light took shape, Link didn't hold anything back.

The beams formed around Ghirahim, _his_ Ghirahim, the elegant demon lord and not sword spirit, solidifying into smooth skin and sleek hair and tight clothes. Gone were the sharp edges of metal, the flat planes of ruby, the dark shimmering diamonds interrupted with white designs. He was back, in front of him, and it was like seeing him in Skyview for the first time. 

Link waited for him to fully solidify, his reforming body floating above the water. His heart pounded, his stomach twisted with butterflies, he couldn't keep his mind straight; it was overwhelming. 

Finally, Ghirahim began to sink back into the water, feet resting on the bottom. Link hesitantly reached out, light fingers against his cheek.

The demon's eyes opened, as black as Link remembered, and he held his breath.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Draw your sword, foolish boy."

Link broke into a wide grin. 

"Ghirahim!"

Tackling the demon, Link splashed the water, sending them both falling back and getting soaked. He laughed it off, still crying, and kissed him like they had been away from each other for years.

Ghirahim rolled his eyes at Link's sentimentality, accepting the help to get out of the water. 

"Took you long enough."

"Oh, come on, it was _two days_ , you've waited longer than that." Link joked, keeping Ghirahim close in an embrace. He couldn't stop smiling.

"And I never want to again." He sighed, wrapping his arm around Link. Brushing his wet hair from his face, Ghirahim caught sight of the other person in the room.

"Oh, hello. I don't believe we've met...?"

"We have." Was their only response, a cool remark they accented by turning away. Ghirahim turned to Link, brows raised with indignance, and Link giggled.

"I'd tell you if I knew anything more than that." He murmured. Reluctantly, he let go of his arm, reaching to pick up the blade. He felt the power burst through him, and it was invigorating.

"Great. You've done it, you need to get a move on." The stranger snapped, already halfway out of the cavern. Link tugged Ghirahim forward, explaining the situation again as he went.

"Yeah, so, apparently I need the Master Sword because you brought us back to the past—"

"Yes, Link, I know that."

"You already know? How much do you know?" 

"Oh, I heard _everything."_

Link froze.

"You didn't. . ."

Ghirahim cackled, walking ahead of Link as they followed the fighter. He turned back with a wicked grin, sharp canines flashing in the cavern's light.

"What is it you missed about me? My smile, my laugh, my anger..."

"Oh my goddess, you _remember_ that?" Link whined, hiding his blushing face in his hands. 

"Why wouldn't I?"

"It's just—I don't know, something about it—just, shut up!"

Ghirahim scoffed, hand on his hip as he leaned his weight into it. "Whatever you say, _Master Link."_

Link stomped passed him, pretending he was angry. He knew Ghirahim could see right through him. 

A snap resounded through the chamber, and Link yelped as a cold gust of wind blew up his body. Spinning around, he glared at the demon, who had his usual smirk plastered on his face.

"What? You were wet. I don't know about you, but that was very uncomfortable for me."

The demon flipped his hair, ignoring Link's impatient sigh. Taking his hand in his own, he guided Link back down the hallway.

"Let's go, then. We're not out of the woods yet."

* * *

They stood in front of the Gate of Time, watching the swirling gears call them forth. Link held tight to Ghirahim's hand, pushing back the memories of every time he had to use this.

"You'll find the sword on the other side." The stranger explained. "Just get it and bring it back, simple as that."

"Somehow I doubt that." Link mumbled, knowing "easy" was no longer a part of his vocabulary.

"The guardian is engaged elsewhere—if I set the Gate correctly. If I have made a mistake, _do not fight her_. You will lose."

"Are you sure about that?" Ghirahim countered, hand raised as if he were about to snap. "Link and I combined are a force to be reckoned with."

"You will lose more than the battle." 

Link nodded, anxious to get going. "I'll explain it to her. I'm sure she'll understand."

He didn't see Ghirahim roll his eyes. He didn't hear him scoff. He wasn't just telling himself this to avoid confrontation. He was focused on the mission, nothing else.

Deep breath. Link let go of Ghirahim's hand, turning back to the stranger. "Well, see you soon." He waved, a stiff attempt to ease the situation, and stepped back into the portal. The glow washed over him immediately, and he felt himself pulled back.

"C'mon, Ghirahim. Let's finish what we started."

Time travel was never on Link's list of top ten things to do before he died, and if given the chance, he would never do it again. The Gate made him nauseous, the unnatural process giving him tingly shivers deep within his bones. He steeled his nerves and kept walking ahead.

On the other side, the passage of time was barely noticeable. The stones looked slightly more weathered, the growth of the vines a little longer, but other than that, the temple remained unchanged. Link stepped from the Gate, Ghirahim right behind him.

There was only one, _tiny_ problem. The only way he was certain time had passed.

"Stay back!"

Impa was waiting for them. The stranger had been mistaken.

"Chosen hero, watch yourself! You're far too comfortable so near such an enemy." She hissed, shield raised. She looked older, by twenty or so years, and he was beginning to see the similarities between her and the old woman. "Get over here! You've grown soft, boy, I may be able to protect you yet."

Link hummed a noise of dissent. "Uh, no, it's... it's not like that..." 

He tried to explain, but, as always, Ghirahim was less understanding.

"Oh, stop this silly attempt to stop us, it would never work. We're not here to hurt you, he only needs the Master Sword."

Link tried to step in and counter his simplification of what was going on, but he was interrupted. Something in Impa's eyes showed realization.

"You've corrupted him." She gasped, her guard dropping so she could charge an attack, "I don't know how you managed to survive, demon, but this... everything you have done is damnable, but this is the lowest you've sunk." Her hand was drawn back, charged to attack. "I'll give you one more warning, release the hero from whatever hold you've put on him, and I'll consider sparing you."

"No!" Link shouted, stepping between them. "It's not like that! **I** found Ghirahim, I picked up his blade, not the other way arou—"

It was the wrong thing to say. Impa's snarl turned to one of horror, her glowing light dimming for a beat.

"You've turned on us. I always doubted Her Grace in her choice of agents, but you've... this is unforgivable. You will not retrieve the Master Sword, and you will not be reviving the Demon King today."

"No! No, I didn't mean, he's good now, I'm not doing this to hurt—"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Impa sent her attack towards them, straight at Link. It was blocked when Ghirahim lunged in front, sword drawn.

"Get the sword." He ordered through gritted teeth.

"But—"

"Go! I'll handle this!"

Link couldn't stop the fight. Impa sent another rush of light at Ghirahim, who countered it easily with a wave of his arm. He was already stalking down the steps, pushing her back, as Link turned to jump off the platform.

"I'm sorry, this isn't—I swear this isn't what it looks like!" He yelled over his shoulder, running to get the blade. The sounds of shattering glass and clinking daggers echoed through the temple, and Link winced with each shout. 

The Master Sword was waiting for him. Stopping, panting at the top of the steps, he paused. He was afraid it wouldn't let him pull it. Worse, he was afraid of what would happen it he **did.**

The remnants of Demise's soul were still trapped within that blade, precariously held by the spirit watching over inside.

An anguished shout came from the other side of the Gate. Link whipped around, horrified he couldn't tell who it came from. He had to do this, there wasn't time anymore.

There was no fanfare when he drew the blade this time. One hand on the hilt, he ripped it from its sleep, not bothering to see if it had even woken. 

He rushed back to the battle.

"Ghirahim, I've got it, you can stop now!" He requested, scrambling back onto the Gate. "Let's go, remember what the person said!"

"What's to stop her from following?" The demon hissed, blocking another particularly harsh attack. He parried the blow, sending a swarm of daggers Impa's way. Two of them nicked her.

 _"Ghirahim!_ "

He didn't listen. Watching from afar, Link looked on in horror as the sword spirit waved his sword in a black arc, a line of daggers following the path it created in the air. Impa couldn't block in time, and she fell as they lodged themselves across her chest.

"What the _hell!_ You can't, you can't kill her, _oh my Goddess this is bad, what have you done this time!"_ Link stammered, racing down the steps to her aid. Ghirahim lowered his sword, panting and disheveled from the battle. Link pushed passed him. 

"She's not going to die, I wasn't trying to kill her." He defended himself, sword disappearing in a cloud if diamonds. "They didn't hit anything vital, and they didn't go in that deep. She can take care of her self."

"Oh, goddesses, I'm sorry, I swear, this isn't—" Link breathed a string of excuses, approaching the downed warrior with caution. "This is, this is for the best, I'm just trying to fix some things, I swear I'm doing this in Hylia's name—"

"I don't want to hear your explanations!" Impa snapped, wrenching herself back from Link with a gasp. Link groaned, looking back to Ghirahim. The demon shrugged, rolling his eyes to signal they needed to get a move on.

"I'm sorry! I just need to borrow it!" Link cried out, knowing he wasn't planning on returning it. 

"Traitors!" She hissed, struggling with her wounds. Like a hurt animal, she cowered away from Link, too weak to raise her sheild.

"Goddess damn it, Ghirahim, if you've killed her..."

"I haven't. She'll live."

Sighing, Link rose from his crouch. Turning his back on Impa, he trudged towards the gate, dragging Ghirahim along.

At the top of the steps, Ghirahim already in the swirling pattern, He turned back.

"I'm sorry. I have to do this."

* * *

Back on the other side of the Gate of Time, Link and Ghirahim had a moment to catch their breath. 

He was still concerned for Impa's well being. She was strong, but she had been much older than he remembered. If she didn't heal from the attack, they had a larger problem on their hands.

But time would right itself. That was what it was doing right now. They would fix this so everything that happened in the past would happen. That was how it worked, right?

If there was one good thing that came from this, it was confirmation that the real Ghirahim was, in fact, restored. Link let out a shaky laugh. He had missed him.

"If she died... I don't know how fucked you've made our timelines, but that's a major problem." Link shook his head, Master Sword heavy in his hand. He flipped the blade over, noticing it felt strange.

"What does it matter? If there's two timelines, that's not even the same Impa you remember. If I'm understanding this correctly. I still don't get all this split timeline nonsense."

Link ignored Ghirahim's excuses. He was more worried about the sword in his hand. The gold gem lacked luster, the blade more grey than the silvery blue he remembered.

"Well, we've got that out of the way. Where'd this goddess servant get off to now?" Ghirahim walked ahead, expecting Link to follow. He did not.

"Link?" He turned back, questioning as the knight stayed still. "Are you coming. . ?"

Link examined the blade, trying to find out why it felt wrong to him. Maybe after months of using Ghirahim it was just unfamiliar, but there was... something else.

"What's wrong now?" The demon sighed, retreating to Link's place. He looked down at the sword again, groaning as Link drew his own.

"Yes, your old sword and new, you really don't need to be comparing them, thank you very much."

"That's not it." Link mumbled, looking from Ghirahim's blade to Fi's. They were different, yes, but there was something... something should have been the same about them. Something missing.

"Whatever. If you want answers, you should find the guide who sent you. They know more about this than me." Again, Ghirahim turned away, gliding down the steps. Link stayed put.

"Link. This is getting ridiculous."

"Fi's not in here."

"I—what?"

Link took a deep breath. Holding the swords up, get repeated, "Fi's not in here. **Nothing's** in here."

Ghirahim looked at him as if he had lost his mind. 

"She's not going to be as lively, if you could ever call her _lively_ , of course. She's dormant, what do you expect?"

Sighing, Link bit at his cheek. This was much worse than he had expected.

"I'm telling you, _Fi's not in here._ The sword is **empty.** "

"And what do you expect me to— _oh_. Oh, **_no_**."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not even halfway through and I've written more than the first book. sometimes it does get better


	10. In Darker Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Master Sword empty of both Fi and Demise's spirits, Link struggles to find where to go next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said you don't have to read the 1st part of this series but I do heavily reference a chapter from it (9). I think you can get the context of it without having read the first fic

"That's not possible." Ghirahim shook his head, vehemently denying Link's observation. "It—it can't be, you're wrong. Give it to me." He held his hand out, but Link tightened his grip on the blade.

"It hurts you, remember?" He snapped, eyes never leaving the empty shell of a sword. He sheathed Ghirahim's form, vaguely wondering what happened to the Master Sword's scabbard. 

" _Fuck._ " The demon ran a hand over his face, still shaking his head in denial. "Okay, okay, we can deal with this. Let's just find the warrior first, I'm sure they know and that's why they needed you to bring it back."

Link sucked in a deep breath, finally looking up from the sword.

"Ghirahim, why do you think they're not waiting for us?"

"They disappear at random times for unknown reasons...? Link, how would I know what their deal is, I was pretty much incapacitated the entire time you were with them."

" _That was Impa!_ Goddess, it seems so obvious now, I mean, her fighting style, the red eyes and blonde hair, the way I'm pretty sure she hates me and is only putting up with this because she has to. And if she's not here..." Link descended the steps, becoming more and more panicked, "That means you killed her! In the past!"

"You don't know that!" Ghirahim yelled back, watching as Link paced around the temple. "Besides, they were way younger than the Impa we met in the past. She would have remembered this happening and _not fought us_. They weren't the same person, and I **didn't** kill either of them."

Link let slip a frustrated growl. This was the last thing he needed, why couldn't the goddesses just let him live in peace?

"It doesn't matter! Either way, Fi's not in here, which means she's not guarding Demise's soul, and the goddess damn bastard got out! If you hadn't—if you had just let me use the Triforce the _first fucking time_ , we wouldn't be here!" 

"Oh, so this is **my** fault!"

"Yes!" Link cried, tugging at his hair as he turned away from Ghirahim. "I never asked to be a hero! I was chosen, you chose this yourself!"

"Need I remind you, Link, as you have so conveniently forgotten since last night, _it wasn't a fucking choice!_ "

Groaning, Link sank to his knees, forehead on the hilt of the Master Sword. "It was supposed to be over. It was over, I did it, I **won**. Why can't this end?"

He heard Ghirahim scoff, could picture him crossing his arms and stomping down the steps towards him. Link turned away from the sound of his footsteps, hiding the tears forming in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. It's still happening, so we have to keep fighting." Ghirahim stated dismissively, standing over Link as the knight let the sword fall from his hand. "Get over yourself, we have work to do."

Link let out a deep sigh. 

"Fine. Fine, let's go, but I have no idea where to start." 

"Go back to your goddess, if anyone knows what to do it's her." The demon suggested, not very happy to admit they needed her help.

Link tucked his knees under himself. The thought of returning to Zelda made him sick to his stomach.

"Do I have to?"

"She's bound to find out. Also, it's been two days since you last saw her, are you not concerned she's worrying about you?"

He was right, but Link still dreaded going back to the sky. The homecomings he had imagined of bringing the Master Sword victorious back to Skyloft were not like this.

"Okay. Sky first, then... we go from there."

Link felt Ghirahim brush past him, making his way to the main exit of the temple. He didn't stand, eyes still on the empty blade, a ghost of a touch running across the hilt. 

He was scared to pick it up again, scared of confirmation Fi was not in the sword. Seconds passed, each moment a moment longer he prolonged the inescapable. 

He heard the doors creak open, and still didn't reach for the sword. Swallowing hard, Link clenched his teeth for the oncoming storm.

"What now?"

Ghirahim was annoyed, more anger seeping into his voice. He had been right, this wasn't his fault (well, not _entirely_ at least) and Link shouldn't have taken his frustration out on him. His shoulders shook, and the tears he had been trying so hard to keep in fell.

He wanted to be alone, back at home behind closed doors and shut curtains where no one would bother him. In the darkness of his room, in the solace of solitude and self-doubt, letting the sobs come where no one else would hear. It had been his get away on his quest, the only escape from a constant stream of do this and get that, find her and stop him.

Head falling into his hands, Link choked on a sob. He bit his tongue to keep from crying out, eyes squeezed shut until he thought he could speak again.

"Ghirahim, I can't do this. I can't do it again."

The demon crouched down next to him, and Link flinched away.

"You think I'm finding this easy?" He asked incredulously, but the anger was no longer there. Ghirahim sighed to fill a calculating pause. When he was sure Link was listening, he continued, 

"You think I'm looking forward to when we inevitably have to reseal Demise? What a _fun_ conversation that will be! 'Oh, hello, Master, it's been quite a while, you're looking _great_. Look, I know we parted on bad terms, nothing personal, but if you could _please_ be so kind as to let yourself be sealed again, I promise I'll do better to not betray you.'"

Link giggled, a gentle breath of laughter that made Ghirahim smile. The knight pulled his hands away from his face, propping his head upon his knees. Silent as he waited for Ghirahim to continue, his tears began to dry.

"Look, no one _wants_ to do this again. But if there's anyone who **can** , it's you. You're strong, and you're not alone. You never have been, but now... now more than ever." A gloved hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing gently.

"We're in this together this time. And frankly, Demise doesn't stand a chance."

Link nodded, conscious of his breathing in and out as he calmed himself down. Even if he didn't believe him, the simple fact he wasn't really doing everything again, that he had Ghirahim on his side and Zelda safe at home this time, was enough to comfort him into steeling his nerves and picking the Master Sword back up.

It was still cold and lifeless, but he would fix it. His mantra since losing his bird before the wing ceremony: he would fix this. He _will_ fix this. It wasn't over yet, it was just another part of the web of fate that needed to be woven. 

Taking Ghirahim's hand into his, he nodded once more, tilting his head to signal he was ready to go. 

The demon gaze him a reassuring squeeze, guiding him out of the temple.

"Come on. Let's go find your ex-sword spirit."

Link laughed, hand gripping tighter to Ghirahim's.

"You're not _jealous,_ are you?"

"Me? Jealous of her? Never."

* * *

Link stumbled out of Ghirahim's grasp the moment the diamonds faded, surprised to find he was so close to the edge. Ghirahim caught him easily, pulling him back before he could fall.

Link had closed his eyes to ward off the nausea, but when he opened them, all he saw was the vast stretch of sky dotted with tiny islands.

"Ghirahim, this isn't—"

"I know." He squeezed Link tighter, whispering, "You needed a moment."

Link sighed, grateful for the silence. The weren't on Skyloft, but one of the surroundings uninhabited islands, normally accessible only by bird. Ghirahim was right, this way he could collect himself before breaking the bad news to Zelda.

The sun was still fairly high in the sky, shadows casting over the damp grass. It was still morning, maybe early afternoon for them, but he had already been through so much. 

Link's gaze wandered around the island, trying to take his mind off everything. It was familiar, but something about it felt different than the rest of the outcrops scattered around the sky. In fact—

"Hey, is this..?" He thought out loud, memories of glowing lights and dark secrets just out of reach.

"I know, what, three places of your home at most. Where else?" Ghirahim scoffed, but he placed a hand on Link's cheek with a nostalgic smile. "Yes, skychild, we've both been here before."

Link broke his stare, turning away with a blush. At the time he would never have imagined coming back with Ghirahim as his sword.

"Wow. Yeah, it's been... a lot has happened since then." He laughed, at peace as the wind swept through his hair. "I wouldn't wish to go back in a million years."

"No, we've moved on." Ghirahim murmured, stepping behind Link and lacing a hand around his waist. "And there's no need to linger on the past."

Leaning into him, Link let his eyes fall shut, breathing in the cool air. He loved the surface, but this would always be his home. The open sky never failed to help put his mind at ease.

Ghirahim waited patiently as he gave himself time to accept his newest fate, and when he was ready, he was there for him.

"Have you calmed down?"

Link nodded. 

"Anything else I can do to help?"

Pressing his face into the crook of the demon's neck, Link teased, "You could tell me again what you like about me", though he was secretly hoping Ghirahim would take him up on the idea.

He giggled as the demon sighed, reaching up to tangle fingers in his hair.

"I suppose it's only fair. I got to hear it from you."

Sinking down to take a seat on the grass, Ghirahim waited until Link was comfortably tucked under his arm to begin.

"So. I take pleasure in your screams of pain, the dulcet tones of you writhing in agony and begging for mercy—"

Link burst out laughing, unable to take him seriously anymore.

"Hey, I did not mock you as you poured your heart out to me!" He gasped with as much dramatic offense as possible, but he was unable to hide his own smile.

"You couldn't if you had wanted to!" The knight countered, shoving him as he tried to curb his laughter. Ghirahim shushed him, swatting him back.

"I was kidding, as you so obviously know. No, I will say your differences from the first hero are still nice, how bright a presence you hold over everyone around you..."

He sighed, looking off at Skyloft.

"You're still hopelessly naïve, a beacon of hope to whomever you touch... Caring. Stubborn. Patient. I never knew someone could be all these things and have the unparalleled strength you possess." Ghirahim's voice dropped low, and Link had an uneasy feeling of déjà vu. 

"You don't sacrifice your morals for power, you gain from them. You'd go against a goddess you love to fight for someone like me..." He trailed off, speaking more to himself than Link. Humming softly at the idea, Ghirahim ignored it, sucking in a deep breath before his attention returned to Link.

"You are far more dangerous than anything I could have ever dreamed of, and you're going to be the death of me." Ghirahim finished, holding him close. 

Link's heart raced. He knew Ghirahim meant well, but the thought was not comforting. It was something he feared more than anything, his good intentions causing harm to those he cared about. Now more than ever after the springs.

"You sound like this is new, like I'm the only one like that. I thought Hylia's whole thing was care with strength." He responded hesitantly, tense as he waited for one in return.

"Link, you have to remember, Hylia was not a benevolent goddess in my eyes. She abandoned those who weren't her favorites, cast aside those who didn't follow her will."

"And Demise was any better?" He asked, more a rhetorical question than one expecting an answer.

"Demise was not the right answer, but it was better than what she offered. If she was going to make backhanded deals and fight dirty, at least Demise didn't hide his intent. At the time, it seemed to at least be a better _option_." Ghirahim defended, and Link could see where he was coming from. He had never understood Ghirahim's motives outside of a literal inability to not follow orders, but the position he placed himself in was more understandable. If he was left to burn, he'd take the world with him.

"I know now it was not. Hylia may have dealt with lies, but Demise dealt with illusions, and those were so much harder to see through."

Ghirahim sighed, and Link could feel him relax, letting his guard down.

"I will admit... it deeply concerns me there is a chance he's still out there. I know, through the laws of magic that unbreakably bound me to him, I am bound to you, but... forgive me, you are _not_ skilled in this art. If Demise wanted me, I fear I would have no choice."

Link's nails dug into skin before he realized it, leaving tiny marks on Ghirahim's arms. He quickly let go, shaking it off as he swung his leg until he was sitting across Ghirahim's lap. Staring into his eyes, hands wrapped loosely around his neck, he promised, "You're my sword now. He can't have you back." 

Ghirahim hummed in agreement. Nothing else to say, his hold on Link slid up his thighs to his waist, idly pressing circles he wasn't sure were meant to sooth him or the demon.

There was much unsaid between them, but Link didn't know where to begin. He had to move on eventually, to warn Zelda and return to the surface. He was about to relent, but Ghirahim broke their silence.

"You know, I considered not accepting Farore's blessing."

"What?"

"It would have been easier for you. If I was like your Fi, the goddess would be more willing to trust you have control over me."

Link shook his head, appalled Ghirahim would even think that was what he could have wanted.

"I don't want control over you."

"You are foolish to think you don't need it." Ghirahim snapped darkly, and Link cautiously leaned back. The demon sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I only want what's best for you. You cannot 'heal' me of the darkness I was forged in, no matter how you try, hero. You must learn to take responsibility for your sword, and to use it—me—as intended."

Pulling Link close, he whispered again, barely a breath, "If I could go back, I'd keep you from getting caught in this mess."

Link scoffed, meeting him with hands tangled in white strands and foreheads pressed close. "I wouldn't have met you, then." 

He felt tears prick behind his eyes, and blinking them shut, smiled at Ghirahim's soft laughter. The demon sighed, words murmured against Link's lips.

"You don't deserve everything you've been through, everything I've put you through. I only hope I can atone for my mistakes and be worthy of your..."

"You are. Ghirahim, you are, I promise, I don't care." Link laughed, though he wasn't sure why. "A thousand times, I'd go through it again, just to get you back. We're healing, we're getting through this. I know you're not as irredeemable as you say you are, I know I can help, if you'd just _let me_." Link's cheeks grew wet, and he sniffed feebly. He felt stupid for it, vulnerable and weak, but Ghirahim did not comment on it. When he pulled back, he saw the demon's eyes closed tight, a faint shine in the corner of his eyes. Embracing him, Link whispered by his ear,

"I'm not losing you. Never again."

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when Link finally called for his Loftwing. Subdued, and mostly ignoring the earlier outbursts, Link rode home alone, Ghirahim returned to his sword. Touching down on Skyloft proper, he made his way to the academy.

It wasn't that late, but past time when most people were out and about. Link could hear voices coming from a classroom, not in class, but laughing and joking with friends.

He stood outside the door, hidden from sight, taking a deep breath. They sounded happy, carefree and unknowing of the horrors once again unleased on this world.

It had always been that way, hadn't it? His peers had always been unaware of how close their lives had been to ending, how the fate of everyone and everything rested on the shoulders of the few. Link knew he wasn't alone, never had been, but he felt as if this was his sole responsibility.

He shook his head, rounding the corner to the classroom. A normal scene, Zelda perched on a table, Groose leaning against a wall, Karane with her head in Pipit's lap and Fledge sitting correctly at a desk like a good student. The laughter and gossip halted as soon as he walked in.

"Link! I've been so worried, did it work?" Zelda jumped up at his entrance, vaulting over the desk (much to Pipit's dismay) to greet him. Link sighed, looking from her to Groose as his friends approached him.

"Can I speak with you two?" He whispered, glancing over at the other's questioning looks. "Not... not here."

Zelda grabbed onto his hand, face filled with worry. "Link, what's happened?"

He bit at the inside of his lip, turning from the room. Moving ahead, he heard a sharp whisper, and then shuffling as his friends followed him to the hall.

Swallowing hard, Link stared blankly at the wall across from them.

"I don't really know how to say this. Demise might be free."

* * *

Ushered into Zelda's room, far from the others where they knew they wouldn't be overheard, Link fell onto her bed with a sigh.

"I'll start at the beginning, I guess."

His friends listened with baited breath as he recalled using the springs, not going into much detail but enough that Zelda could understand where they went wrong. He told them of the stranger, of their request to get the Master Sword, and of fighting Impa in the past. His voice nearly broke when he spoke of how Fi's blade was empty, and how he had no idea where to go from here.

"I'm going to the surface in the morning. Probably back to the past, the first thing I need to so is find Fi." Link held up the Master Sword, letting it's dull blade fall back on the bed as his strength left him.

There was silence in the room, and Link waited for them to react. Personally, he still wasn't entirely processing the situation. He had accepted it, but now he had to face it. In the morning, together. 

Ghirahim's blade flashed hot where it touched his skin.

"Link, I don't want to make you worry anymore, but..." Zelda started, gently as if she was speaking to a child. "If Demise's spirit broke free from the blade... it may not have been because Fi left it."

Link's eyes shot open.

"Are you saying she's dead?"

"It's a possibility." Zelda sighed, turning to her desk. "One that you need to be prepared for."

He sat up in shock.

"No. No, she's just..." He denied, but Zelda was making a point. Fi was duty-bound by Hylia to stay inside that sword, trapped by more than her willingness to help. She would never leave on her own. Link remembered how tired she had seemed when he laid her to rest.

"No. I'm sure it's something else." He shook his head, denying the inevitable. He didn't miss the look Groose and Zelda shared. 

"Look, we're here to help. Whatever you need us to do, we've got your back." Groose assured him, offering a weak smile. Link mumbled a thanks, fiddling with the hilt of the Master Sword.

"Right now, I need you two to be prepared. And I don't want anyone else to be alarmed just yet. I'm going to scope out the problem, see just what we're up against... and we can go from there." 

Link took charge, looking from Zelda to Groose. He wasn't going to dump this information on them without giving them some reassurance they could keep fighting. 

"There's no outlined quest this time, we'll be making this up as we go. But I know we can do this, and I know we'll survive."

Zelda gave him a strong smile, nodding as he tried to convince them all this wasn't hopeless.

"Ha, no offense to you two, but for those outside the holy loop, we had to make plans ourselves." Groose grinned, leaning back with his arms crossed. "Don't worry about it, let's take this ugly monster down one more time."

Link laughed, feeling for the first time since he drew the sword again they stood a chance. Tired, but hopeful, he mumbled an excuse that he needed to get some sleep and turned to leave.

"Link," Zelda reached out to him, a hand grasping his shirt. "I trust you, you know that?"

"Yes." Link froze, not liking the gentle tone her voice had taken again.

"And I know you have everyone's best intentions at heart, but... I think you need to be careful. About..." Her eyes flicked to the swords on his back.

"About what, Zelda?" Link growled, pulling his arm from her hold. Zelda sighed, shaking her head. 

"I just don't want you getting hurt."

Link shut his eyes, nodding. He didn't have anything else to say.

Zelda watched him leave, her shoulders falling as the door shut. 

"I'm going to go pray."

* * *

When morning came, Link strapped both swords to his back with care. They crossed over each other, the black hilt of Ghirahim's not as stark a contrast to Fi's as he had expected. They looked incredibly similar, though Ghirahim's was, annoyingly, longer. It felt unbalanced. 

Zelda helped him load his pouches with supplies, telling him if he wasn't back in two days again she'd be coming after him. Link nodded along, listening as she explained how she'd be here if he needed, reading and looking to Hylia for help. She planned to come to the surface soon anyway, if Link went MIA or not. 

"Alright, Link. Here we go again."

"Here we go again." He echoed, turning to the platform.

"Well, see you soon." He waved, jumping back off the island. His bird caught him seconds after he whistled, taking him straight to Faron Woods. 

The descent was easy, the path to the temple familiar. Ghirahim appeared outside as Link struggled to open the large doors.

"Finally awake?" Link teased, though it was missing his usual brightness.

"I don't sleep." Ghirahim scoffed, pushing past Link to open the door. "I just didn't feel like dealing with the spirit maiden."

"Yeah, me too." Link sighed, following. "Want you and Zelda interacting any more than you have to, that is." 

Inside the temple, the Gate of Time stood waiting. They had forgotten to close it, though he doubted anything had left or come through the tunnel. Up the steps, Link stood in front the gate, steeling himself for the discomfort of time travel.

_Link._

"Wait."

_Chosen Hero, please follow..._

He looked around the chamber, trying to find the source of the voice.

"If you're scared, I don't think—" Ghirahim began, but Link hushed him with a wave.

"No, I heard something. My name, it sounded like..."

A chime.

Link whipped around, sure he had heard it this time.

"Did you do that?"

"What?"

"The—the noise, I've been hearing it since I found your blade, it led me to you, it's—it's _so familiar,_ what could it—"

Link sighed, frustrated that he couldn't place the sound. It wasn't Ghirahim's sword, Ghirahim's sword was shorter, a stiffer burst like broken glass, like shattering diamond. This had been drawn out, a rush of wind but melodic. Ghirahim gave him a look of 'let's get a move on', but Link was determined to figure this out.

He caught a glimpse of a shadow at the temple entrance. The same figure that had been haunting him, the outline of black more pronounced than it had been before. Similarly shaped to the stranger, the warrior that had disappeared when they came back through the gate.

"We need to stay here."

Ghirahim threw his arms up in exasperation, loud groan shocking Link from his focus on the shadow figure. 

"Link, we're on a fairly tight schedule, _what now?_ This better not be—"

"It's the shadow." Link interrupted, confirming what he didn't want. Ghirahim sighed deeply, and as he turned the figure blinked out of view.

"There was a time for this, and that was _before_ we found out the root of all evil was released onto the world once more. We can't make any detours for this, Link."

"No, we have to." He argued, already walking down the steps. "It's them, the person from earlier. They're a sorcerer, they used magic around me, it makes sense they can do this. They're not dead, and if they're Impa like I think they are, they're going to be a lot more help than returning to a past we're not exactly welcome in."

Ghirahim did not immediately follow, standing at the top of the steps with a fist pressed between his brows. He shook his head, muttering to himself, and followed his reckless knight.

Outside the temple, Link stood watching the statue of Hylia, eyes fixed in the platform at the top. Even in the bright sunlight, he could clearly see the person watching over them, the outline of their arm gesturing past the woods.

"The castle. Earlier, when we were there, I saw them..." Link remembered, watching as the black drifted away in the wind. "With the carvings. They wanted me to follow, but you took us out of there before I could."

Ghirahim shrugged, placing a hand on Link's shoulder. 

"I can take you there fast enough, I've been getting better with long distance travel."

"Are you sure?" Link worried, taking Ghirahim's other hand into his. "You teleported pretty far yesterday. It feels like so much longer but you've barely come back to me."

"And have rested since then, it should be fine. This is your warning."

Link was pulled in closer before the world faded to black, scatters of red and gold blinking past his vision.

* * *

"Do you remember how to get there?" 

"Uh, maybe? I kind of thought you were going to take us straight to where we left off...."

"It's harder underground, don't complain. You could have just as easily _walked._ "

"Sorry, thank you. This is fine." Link apologized, walking ahead. He was fairly certain he knew where he was going, but, hey, if they ended up hopelessly lost, their mysterious guide would be there to help them out. Hopefully. 

Down endless corridors, only running into one or two dead ends, Link finally found the door Ghirahim had broken, and climbed through with his partner following. He drew the sword for light, secretly hoping for a chance to use it again. It felt to natural in his hand, like it couldn't hurt him, and he wanted to use that power without the risk from before.

Unfortunately, he did not get a chance.

They were back in the open room soon enough, passing the tales of war and gods, the picture of the first hero burning into Link's mind. He brushed it off, passing it as all the others.

When he met the exit he had missed before, his hand waivered over the carved stone. He was betting a lot on this, and the weight of his actions were harsh to bear. 

"What if I'm wrong?" He hesitated, grip on Ghirahim's sword growing tight. 

"Then you're wrong. Are you ready to fight back if you need to?" 

Link exhaled sharply. "More than ever."

"Let's do this."

With Ghirahim's help, he threw the door up, ducking into the sealed chamber off the side. 

This room was much smaller, rounded though still covered with pictures. They had been better preserved, a near perfect retelling of the story they were portraying. On the far wall from them, a great black mass of paint and carvings dominated the room, the focus of these histories. The Imprisoned.

They were not alone. Link cautiously took a step forward, reminded of every battle he had faced at the end of the dungeons he had fought through. It seemed familiar, almost, to see the cloaked figure waiting for him with their back turned, a sword spirit at his side.

"Who are you?" He called out, inching closer. If there had been one thing he had learned from fighting Ghirahim, it was not to provoke strangers he met in enclosed spaces. If there had another from having him as a sword, it was to disregard that lesson and take a risk.

"As I've said, we've met."

"Yes, but _who?_ "

In the dim firelight, it was hard to see their movements. The warrior sighed, their hands raising as they reached for something. Ghirahim and Link tensed into a fighting stance.

They were not met with magic, but with a near devastating blow nonetheless. They removed their hood, revealing white blonde hair as the cloak disintegrated with magic, showering down their back with in a cascade of diamonds. When they turned around, their face was still recognizable though it was adorned with the red eye of the Sheikah, matching irises uncanny where he was so used to them blank. 

"Let's try this again. Hello, Master Link, my personal designation is Fi. I was once the spirit of the Master Sword."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I deleted some stuff off this account so I'm comfortable with sharing this link now. if you want to check out my [Tumblr](https://skyview-spring-of-power.tumblr.com/) , I'm always down to yell about Skyward Sword :)


	11. Spirits of Swords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghirahim and Link are joined by Fi as they work to fix the split timeline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A ton of headcanon lore in this chapter, this is the "fixing the time paradox" part. Some is based off Hyrule Historia, some is canon divergent, most is complete headcanon to fix where Nintendo broke it.

Silence is loud.

It is suffocating and painful, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for someone to break first.

"I can tell you are having trouble processing this information."

 _"You think?!"_ Ghirahim snapped, but Link held out his hand in warning. 

"Calm down." He whispered, sword still raised, silently begging the demon to stay alert. 

_It could be a trap._

_There is no being in this land that could come up with a ruse this convoluted and absurd!_

_Still. You were the one that wanted **me** to be cautious._

"Why should we believe you?" Link called out, "Fi is supposed to be trapped in this blade. She never had a passable human form. Someone tried to fool me by taking my friends' forms before, why didn't you say who you were when we first met?"

The shadow—Fi, he thought—turned away with a sigh. "Truthfully, I thought I could avoid this encounter. If it weren't for the inadequacy of your new sword—"

Link heard Ghirahim growl. _Yeah, not jealous at all_.

"—I would never have had to reveal myself. You needed a stronger presence guiding you here."

"But you led me to Ghirahim first?"

"You needed a blade to continue your tasks as chosen hero. The Master Sword was locked away. It was a simple solution."

Her hand reached up to brush over the chipped paint, flaking off where her delicate fingers touched the carvings. She still looked less-than-human, with the same ethereal grace Link had grown used to. 

"I did not want to disappoint you with my own failure, Master Link." Fi spoke in a low voice, nearly whispering. Ghirahim opened his mouth to comment, but Link cut him off with a glare. Not noticing their exchange, Fi added, "I am afraid I am more susceptible to emotional responses."

"That's good, right?" Link stepped closer, one arm still held out to deter Ghirahim. He was wary, but beginning to believe she really could be the Fi he remembered.

"It is a weakness Hylia never intended for a blade, and the reason Demise has escaped." She turned to the other spirit, red eyes cold. "Why do you think he was able to be defeated in the first place?"

"Okay, okay, calm down! Both of you, be quiet!" Link spoke up before Ghirahim could get a word in, separating the two with their swords. Surprisingly, they both obeyed, and Link realized his mistake from the hurt in Ghirahim's eyes.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...." He began to apologize, but cut himself off with a groan. He didn't want to resort to this, but ordering their silence may have been his only chance to get a word in otherwise. 

"Shut up for five minutes, and let me speak." He glared at the two, taking note that neither of their stances were neutral. They were ready to strike, and he wasn't sure he could stop them.

"First, I don't know if I believe you, but we'll get to that later." Link addressed Fi, ignoring Ghirahim for the moment. "And second, I'm sorry you think this is your fault because you can feel again. If anything, by that logic it's mine for encouraging you."

Taking a deep breath, Link shifted to focus on both of them.

"We all mess up. Him especially." Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "We need to accept it and focus on the problem at hand: Demise, for the third time. It's always in sets of threes, huh?"

He waited for a response, before he once again remembered they couldn't talk back. "That didn't take five minutes. Sorry. Let's just get going."

Link turned to the door, swords still unsheathed, but a hand stopped him. As if asking him to wait, Fi pulled him to the center of the room, gesturing at the fragmented wall. 

In the firelight, the carved patterns seemed to move with the flickering flames, dancing across battlefields of twisted, unrecognizable figures. The artwork here was more abstract, more fluid and brought to life.

Link followed the story lines, a vague picture painted of monsters and demons overrunning the land and destroying everything in their paths. Directing his attention to the black mass engulfing the room, Fi was the first to break the spell.

"We don't have time. This is," she paused, glancing back at Ghirahim. "A warning of what was to come. No one truly knows how the outcome of the war would have gone without the interference of the goddesses, but there were speculations."

She held his gaze for a tense moment, before turning back to Link. "Notice there is no writing here. Hylian imagination appealed to fear, threatening the worst if no one stepped up. Though this account is biased and unreliable, it is all we have to go off." 

Sighing, Fi's eyes fell closed as she added, "Once, the Sheikah had an advanced way of retaining information. Their system of writing was always more accurate than this Hylian ideography and oral traditions."

"The Sheikah records have been lost for millennia. It's no use dwelling on them." From the back of the room, Ghirahim stood in the shadows, avoiding the scene Fi was explaining to Link. He could feel an uneasy aura through their bond. 

Fi seemed to be holding her tongue. It was strange, to hear cold anger in her voice. Though more human, it still had the metallic edge, when she retaliated, "I know, considering you helped to destroy them."

"It's no use dwelling on the past." He repeated, ignoring her. Link wanted to say something to distract them from each other, but Fi turned him back to the wall.

"Demise may have been defeated in this lifetime, but the curse he enacted on your bloodline was more than empty threats. Though he was weak, he had strength enough to use the same principal Hylia did in restoring her hero's soul, and her own. The seal on the Master Sword should have been enough to hold him until the cycle began anew, giving your spirits time to heal and prepare, but..."

Her hand brushed against Link's, grazing over the hilt of the Master Sword. With a choked breath, she finished, "the seal was not strong enough. _I_ was not strong enough."

Sheathing Ghirahim so he could take her hand, Link whispered, "It's not your fault." He didn't know how to convince her of this, how to return the hope she had given him when he was in her position. "There has to be some other explanation."

"I suspect the distance from Hylia is what weakened my ability." Fi admitted, though denying Link's attempt at support. Her hand grazed a circular design, familiar to Link but just out of his reach of recognition. "We weren't separated by time alone."

"What do you mean by—"

"We need to hurry." Fi interrupted, leaving Link behind as she glided out of the room. Looking to Ghirahim for some answer, Link found he was just as confused as he was.

"I still don't trust them." Ghirahim hissed under his breath, walking in step close to Link's side. "You would follow her word so blindly?"

"She did lead me to you."

* * *

Outside the castle, Link stood watching the sun setting just under the clouds. Night would be upon them soon, and they would need to hurry if they were to reach Skyloft before the loftwings would no longer fly. 

"Let's go, I guess. Sky first, we need to tell Zelda."

"Of course. Hylia must be informed." 

Link turned to Fi, who was looking out at the landscape. Sure she wasn't paying attention, he grabbed Ghirahim's hand, whispering, "Can you please go into the sword? I won't ask you to teleport again, I know it's been a rough few days for you."

"Of course, _Master Link_."

Link frowned at his stiff agreement, louder than it needed to be. He had been acting strange since he retrieved the Master Sword, only fueled by Fi revealing herself. He didn't have time to worry. 

"My bird can only carry one of us this far from Skyloft, but I think the extra weight from the swords shouldn't be too much? If you two take your sword forms, I can get us there quickly."

Ghirahim set a hand on his shoulder, about to disappear into the blade, but was cautious as he watched Fi from the short distance. 

_You know, she could be waiting to get you alone. The minute I leave you she'll attack._

_Ghirahim, she's not going to..._ He did have a point. Link brushed Ghirahim off, stepping towards Fi, hand outstretched. "Can you do that?"

Fi was silent. He watched as she took in a deep breath, her shoulders falling as her arms folded across her chest protectively. 

"I can't enter my sword." 

"You can't...?"

"The connection has been severed." She clarified, still avoiding Link. He heard Ghirahim scoff, and sent a glare his way.

"So you're no longer the spirit of the Master Sword."

"Not exactly, it is not permanent, but I am unable to communicate with it." Her arms dropped, standing tall as she looked back out at the fields. "It was the only way of leaving the confines of bond to reach you."

"But Ghirahim—"

"No, she's right. Technically, I was never far from my blade itself." Ghirahim held a hand to his chest, eyes downcast with memories he didn't want to remember. "We can't stray very far without our masters."

Link worried his lip, pondering what they could do now. The sun was dropping rapidly, but if they left soon enough, they could find a bird statue closer to Skyloft. There was also the chance they'd spend another night on the surface, and if they weren't careful, they'd be spending it in the wilderness. 

It wasn't that far to Faron Woods. Making up his mind, Link descended the castle steps, gesturing for the others to follow.

"Well, let's go then. If we're lucky we can reach Faron before the birds stop flying, and that close to Skyloft my loftwing should be able to carry the two—three of us." He amended, though he had no intention of keeping Ghirahim outside the blade. He wondered if Ghirahim knew that, or if he had finally succeeded in emotion and thought control.

That brought up another problem, Link thought, as he navigated the broken remains of the town. Spread out, Fi a few paces behind him and Ghirahim even farther back, he concentrated on calling to him.

_She can't hear what I'm thinking, then, can she?_

_How many times do I have to tell you—yes, Link, she can't 'hear' you._

Good. And judging by the lack of outrage from his sword, Link felt that he had been able to keep information from Ghirahim without alerting something was wrong. He felt a hint of guilt, but the rapidly darkening sky and dangerous open plains were more concerning.

They began their journey to Faron.

* * *

Just their luck, the clouds seemed to drift in as the sun was slowly dying, cutting off their light source and plunging the world into darkness. Out in the open, they were more vulnerable, but reluctant to stop. 

"If we reach the statue it'll be no use to us now." Link argued, tired and hungry. He didn't particularly want to set camp for the night amid the sparse trees of Hyrule Field, but Faron was still a fair distance away. 

"Yes, but I'd rather we make it there tonight than deal with another hour of walking in the morning. I know you, you'll be impossible to wake up." Ghirahim ignored his reasoning, passing Link and putting himself between him and Fi. She had been characteristically silent the whole time, leaving Ghirahim and Link alone. 

The surface at night was always very different from Skyloft. Though the few he had spent with Ghirahim or during his quest were relatively bright, the clouds covering the sky distorted this world and plunged them into darkness. Fi didn't seem to have trouble, and he knew Ghirahim was at home in this environment, but Link was struggling. 

The outline of the woods was just barely visible on the horizon, taunting him as he tripped over another unseen bump in the grass. Link sighed.

"I promise I'll wake up on time, I can't keep going like this—"

"Quiet. There's something out there." Ghirahim paused, Fi frozen a few steps in front of them. In a moment of silent communication, they glanced at each other, the tense aura of their magic heavy in the air.

Following their lead, Link drew his swords, on edge as he felt the darkness closing in around him. He was at a disadvantage here, blind to the night and wielding weapons in a way he was unfamiliar with. 

"Swarm of keese, easy enough to deal with—"

"Only one of us is needed to defeat them—"

"And a group of bokoblins."

"Three red and two blue leaders. No archers, though there is a 60% chance they will call for backup nearby."

Ghirahim and Fi informed him, matching up each other's analyses without speaking over the other. Link nodded, balancing the weight of the swords between his hands. 

"They have not been alerted to our presence, however crossing their path is unavoidable. I suggest preparing." Fi finished, and with a wave of her hand the cloak she donned earlier covered her again. Ghirahim scoffed in annoyance. 

"You're tired, and more susceptible to getting hurt. this will make it more difficult." He frowned, whispering to Link. "Leave this to us."

"I can handle this." Link insisted, following after Fi. "It's not like I'm alone."

If Ghirahim didn't like his answer, he didn't show it. Link felt his presence behind him, felt the power in the sword flare up as he steeled himself to fight. The Master Sword began to glow with a soft light, giving him enough to see where he was walking.

"You can't put that out?"

"No." He snapped. " _I'm_ not doing anything."

" _Shh._ " Fi chastised them, holding a hand back to halt their advance. Ghirahim didn't seem happy with the order. 

He opened his mouth to retaliate, but Fi had already let a ball of light flare up in her hand, sending the burst out as a disk that disrupted the bokoblin camp, decapitating the closest. Springing up, she silently leapt down the hill and into the throes of battle. 

"Sheikah magic." Ghirahim muttered under his breath, summoning his own weapon. Several daggers appeared and lodged themselves in the closest monster, the pained squealing sickening before he finished the job with his sword. Looking back to Link, he called out, "Don't get yourself hurt!"

"I won't." Link sighed, raising the swords. While Fi's glowed, Ghirahim's seemed to suck the darkness out of the sky and into the blade, the gem in the center red and flickering like fire. In an odd way, they complimented each other.

His swords seemed to have the battle on the lower ground covered, so Link remained atop the hill and kept an eye out for the swarm they warned him of. From his position, he could watch the spirits as they fought. 

Like a dance, the two swept across the tiny battlefield with elegant grace, their chosen form of weapon sending out bursts of light. Fi was fast paced and erratic, her combination of magic and martial art taking out multiple enemies at once. Instead of being in contention with Ghirahim's deadly precision, they worked together like clockwork.

Link wasn't needed for this. He watched them annihilate the enemy, thankful he had always had at least one of them on his side.

Unfortunately, it caused him to be distracted. The keese swarm he was supposed to be looking out for took him by surprise, knocking him off balance and surrounding him. 

He yelled out in pain, their sharp wings slicing exposed skin, and haphazardly slashed the blades into the air, catching a few that disappeared into clouds of smoke. Struggling to regain his footing, Link slammed the blades together, crossing over each other as a shield above his head.

He hadn't meant to put so much energy into the move, but as soon as the metal collided, light poured from the blades, blue and red and blinding. He sliced the swords down, leaving colorful arcs that sent the keese falling to the ground, purple clouds dissipating at his feet.

"Link!"

"What did you—"

Out of breath, Link let the swords fall from his hands, the power under his skin begging to be let out. He sank to his knees, trying to calm himself as his swords caught up to him.

"I told you not to—how am I going to explain to the spirit maiden if you've gone and overexerted yourself again, she'll have my head—" Ghirahim worried over him, his concern barley hidden. Link smiled breathlessly.

"What are you—are you _laughing?_ "

"Did you see that?" He asked his swords, incredibly tired and beyond the point of caring. He giggled as Ghirahim helped him stand up, reaching out for the blades. "If I had been able to do that all along, I'd have been unstoppable!"

"Yes, yes, you're mad with power," Ghirahim wrapped an arm around his shoulder, leaning against him and helping him to limp down the hill. "Goddess sword, do you have an idea what he's done now?"

"I do not have an data on that technique." She shook her head in confusion, letting the cloak disintegrate again. "I do not think it wise to move him anymore, we do not know how this has affected him."

"I agree." 

Setting Link down against a fallen log, Ghirahim turned to the other spirit poking a dying fire.

"This is good enough. At least with him out of commission he won't notice the bloodstains."

"Hmm. Yes."

* * *

It had been a few hours, and the clouds had cleared enough for the thin moon to shine through the sky. Link watched the fire flicker with mild disinterest. His swords were laid out next to him, an arm's distance away, while Ghirahim and Fi sat on opposite sides of the fire. Neither spoke.

He hadn't been able to sleep after the incident, whatever magic that had escaped keeping his body awake though his mind still felt exhausted. Unable to peacefully rest, he sat in silence, waiting for the feeling to go away.

It gave Link a change to finally see Fi's new form. Her hair was longer, straight and the same white blonde color of Impa's. With her tanned skin and piercing red eyes, there was no doubt she was Sheikah like her.

The red paint that outlined her eyes was smeared, and the design on her forehead looked misshapen as well. Though her spirit form was ageless, she looked older and tired.

She was similar to Ghirahim, which surprised Link. Next to her, he looked more human.

His mind was still fuzzy from the attack, though he was coming to his senses again. He needed sleep, felt his body shutting down and becoming sluggish as he shifted against the log. The air was cold, but the fire gave off enough warmth to keep him from freezing. 

"So we're staying here for the night?" Link spoke into the silence, watching two pairs of eyes lock in on him as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Yes. Your condition is normal again?" Fi asked, the shadows on her face darkening her expression. Ghirahim showed no emotion, any concern hidden. 

"I wouldn't say 'normal'." He shrugged, "I have no idea what happened." 

His hand grazed the Master Sword, the hilt cold under his finger tips. Hesitantly, he picked up the blades, the power burning in his palms where they touched. Just when he thought he had Ghirahim under control.

They fought with each other, the auras they gave off, but at the same time, they worked together. In comparison, the form Ghirahim's sword had taken for him was much like the Master Sword, balancing the other out with dark for its light. It was as if they were made to be wielded together. 

Link held the sibling swords in his hands, holding the blades out to the fire. They both lit up from their gems, glow pulsing across the metal and leaving paths of white, the soft shimmer in beat with Link's heart. He looked to his spirits. 

Fi's human form faded, the tanned skin giving way to metallic blue, her eyes going lifeless once more. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ghirahim's grey give way to deep black. 

He would have thought by now he would be used to seeing the cracks of Ghirahim's once-shattered gem, but next to Fi's pristine sapphire, it was impossible not to notice. Averting his eyes, Link couldn't stop himself from feeling guilty. He had done that, and no matter how it healed, the red would always be scarred.

It was even harder to read their emotions when their faces were blank. Link sheathed Ghirahim, leaving the Master Sword out for a moment longer, to reassure Fi, "You're not that disconnected from this."

"No. I guess not." She whispered, almost lost to the crackling of the fire. From under her cape, a slender blue hand reached up to cup her face, tracing the contours as if they were new to her.

"You have arms?"

"Yes, I have arms." She smiled, and it was very strange to see on her sword form. Sheathing her as well, Link pushed himself off the log, getting closer to the fire and the other two.

"You can smile, too. Have you always been like this?" He asked, curious. Ghirahim crossed his arms over his gem, turning away from Link.

"I do not remember, to be honest. Presently, I have... some memories. I can imitate emotions, and they are much closer to what I believe Hylians consider feeling."

"That's a good thing, I promise." Link whispered, but it was drowned by the fire popping and Ghirahim speaking up.

"Some memories? What do you mean by that?" 

Fi may have gained emotions, but she was still good at hiding them. "I mean," she began, voice like ice, robotic and impersonal again, "I remember most of my journey with Master Link up to defeating the Demon King. After that it grows unclear."

She held his gaze for a tense moment, before turning to Link, the fire reflecting off her metal skin. "I also have access to memories of before we met that Hylia had previously wanted hidden."

Her metal faded to flesh in a shimmer of blue and gold, and Fi addressed Link, "I can answer questions you had about the Era of the Goddess I could not when we knew each other."

Link's heart sped up. Leaning in close, eyes wide, he was ready to learn what the goddess had tried so hard to keep hidden, but Ghirahim stopped them.

"That's enough for tonight. You need to sleep."

"Not tired." Link argued, but he yawned the first part of his sentence. Ghirahim glared at him, snapping away his spirit form and moving closer to Link.

"I can tell you general things I remember that have little to no meaning to you." Fi offered, looking smug as Ghirahim snarled in her direction. Link swatted his arm, tugging him closer and ignoring the irritation he could feel through their bond.

"Please?"

Leaning back, Fi looked up to the few scattered stars between the clouds. "I knew Impa. We were friends, I believe. She taught me the Sheikah magic I know."

"Did she." Ghirahim murmured, focus not on Fi but the horizon. He was lost in his own memories.

"She had help. That information seems to be more than you want Link to know right now."

Ghirahim snapped back to the conversation, lips curling into a sneer and showing off the sharp fangs threateningly. Fi ignored this, holding his stare as she continued, "Impa was very much in love with Hylia. I remember that. Her aura was not much different from how yours is now."

The rage that filled him was so sudden that Link jerked back. It came from nowhere, resounding through his mind and suffocating him. He grasped Ghirahim's arm for support, and the feeling intensified. He was the culprit. 

_shut up shut up shut up_

Link looked to Ghirahim in slight surprise. The onslaught of anger ceased when the sword noticed him watching. 

"Should I not have said that? Sorry." Her apology was apathetic, and if she had less control she would have been smirking. "Only, it's strange, I had thought Impa's was equivalent to devotion, something I was taught to look for in the Chosen Hero. I remember expecting your aura to match hers soon after you joined Demise—"

"You can stop now." Ghirahim growled through gritted teeth. Link gently squeezed his arm. 

"—but it never did. That I know of, I was never able to fully detect you."

"Enough about the past." He ordered, wrapping an arm around Link possessively. "We have greater concerns. You still haven't explained why the sword is so important to have right now."

"You haven't been listening." Fi retaliated, annoyance creeping into her voice. "There are multiple timelines now, parallel worlds created by altering earlier events. We need to find Demise's essence in the past, and bring it, sealed, to the future. The correct timeline, so—."

"I still don't see how this happened." Ghirahim interrupted, and Link elbowed him sharply. He snapped his fingers and Link hissed as a dagger grazed his arm. 

"Fine." Fi sighed, standing up and raising her hands. With arcs of light, she drew out two lines. 

"At first, there was one linear progression of time, a line that went from point A to point B." She traced the top, leaving blue light in its path. "Then the golden goddesses created the ancient relics, powerful objects that were never meant for human hands."

"The Triforce?" Link asked, rubbing the scar on the back of his hand. Though he no longer held the power, the magic left an imprint on his very soul. 

"One of them, yes. The others were lost to myths, destroyed by the goddesses themselves when they proved too dangerous to control. The shards of these were scattered across the world, weakened and left to die out."

Ghirahim sighed, impatient. "This I know. Demise had been very keen to harness the power of these, and for good reason, too. These unidentifiable relics were the key to creating sword spirits. Another piece became part of the Imprisoned's spike."

"Link doesn't know. We're starting from the beginning, as you wish to understand everything." Fi reminded him, difficultly ignoring his irritation.

"Link seems to blindly accept your reasoning."

"Hey!" Link gasped, pulling away from his sword. "Stop fighting! I'm sure we'll go over this many more times, let her finish!" He glared at Ghirahim, met with the same intensity.

Fi turned back to her timeline. "So the golden goddesses scatter the relics, some of which made their home in Lanayru, hidden deep within the ocean. Called and attached to each other, they formed crystals, the timeshift stones. When the ocean began to shrink into the Lanayru sea of the Goddess Era, with the help of Hylia, Hylians and Sheikah learned to harness the power of the timeshift stones, creating the Gates of Time."

She marked a line on the first timeline, signifying the invention of time travel. "It was only meant for use by the goddess herself. The Gates were highly guarded, Sheikah warriors were trained to give their lives in order to prevent mortal use.

"Like Impa."

"Yes, that was Impa's original role." Fi agreed, nodding in Link's direction. She stepped back, marking another place on the line. "These restrictions were lifted at the first fall of Demise, here. In order to enact her plan, Hylia needed her future mortal incarnation and her hero to both use the Gate, and she needed someone to guide them. Thus Impa became the first mortal to bend time, and my blade was given the power to awaken the Gates, hidden away from any else who sought to use them."

"That's why I couldn't find the damn thing." Ghirahim muttered, sent glares by both Link and Fi. He raised his hands in defense, a weak apology under his breath. Fi went back to her timeline. 

"Impa is sent to the future to bring Zelda to the past. Zelda as Hylia, in the past, reveals herself to her hero and holds the seal on Demise. In your present, you use the Triforce to defeat Demise, and Hylia-Zelda awakens once more. The Gates should close, and the world should be safe."

" _However_ ," She stopped Ghirahim from interrupting, drawing her first line down to the second. "Before the second Gate could be destroyed, he brought Hylia to the past and raised Demise. Chosen Hero defeats Demise in the past, meaning there is no longer a Demise to fight in the future, and no reason for Hylia and her hero to be reincarnated."

Taking a deep breath, Fi waved her hand across the first timeline, erasing it. "This is what would have happened if the timelines hadn't split. So, congratulations, Ghirahim, you managed to destroy the world even in death."

"Sarcasm. That's new." Ghirahim scoffed, mostly to hide how he really felt. Link could sense a hint of shame, he wasn't doing very well at hiding emotions between their bond that night. 

"However, the timeline split. One where Demise was destroyed in Link's present, and one where Demise was destroyed in Link's past. The problem comes from crossing these two."

She waved her hand, and the first line appeared again. Connected by a thin string, the two stayed separate. 

"You left the Master Sword, with Demise's spirit, in the second timeline. You and Zelda went back to the first. Yet, Demise's curse was not on the line, but on you. The incarnation of his hatred he attached to you, much like Hylia's wish of reincarnation, was brought back. Demise, however, was left with the Master Sword. We need all three pieces on the correct timeline, so the soul of the hero is on the same plane as the soul of evil and the soul of the goddess." 

Fi finished her explanation, leaving the glowing lines to float in the air. "Does that make sense?" 

"Why can't we leave him in the past?" Link slowly stood up from the ground, the two lines turning into four as his vision blurred. Blinking the sleep away, he stepped forward, reaching his hand through the intangible second timeline. "Then he would never come back in our time. Zelda and I wouldn't need to reincarnate, or whatever."

"Left to fester and grow without opposition, the malice created would be unstoppable." Fi explained, "In a world with no hero, with no blood of Hylia to create a seal... Demise would have total control. And in the event he found the Gate of Time, he could destroy this world and his. I'm sorry, Link, this has to be done."

"We could destroy the gate."

"There are still timeshift stones in the past. The only way to prevent this is to eradicate Demise as best we can."

Link sighed, watching as Fi's magic faded away. "So what happens when we do this? Two timelines, one perfect and one doomed?" 

"No. The other is... unstable. It would cease to exist."

Link froze, mind racing as he processed her words.

"But... Impa, and the world—"

"Link, that world should never have existed. Skyloft as you know it doesn't exist, and would never be allowed to if Demise got his way."

She stepped towards him, looking to offer some form of comfort, but hesitated to get close to him with Ghirahim so near. "It's for the best."

"Yeah. That's what they always say." Link muttered, avoiding the others' worried stares. He shook his head, turning from the fire. 

"That's enough for tonight. If we're going to reach Skyloft in the morning, we should all sleep." 

He heard shuffling behind him as he knelt at Ghirahim's side, Fi calling out, "Understood, Master Link", before she left them alone for the night.

Ghirahim snarled in her direction, undeterred by Link's glare, and wrapped an arm around him. He was effectively trapped against the demon's side, finding it hard to keep his eyes open.

"I still don't trust her. How else would you find me? How did she find you? There are too many questions, too many gaps in her story. She clearly has more of a connection to the sword than she's letting on."

"I don't know, Ghirahim." Link sighed, staving off a yawn. He relaxed against the warmth, watching the fire flicker as it died down. 

"I'll keep watch." Ghirahim whispered, fingers tugging at the tangles in his hair. Link murmured a noise of protest, pushing up against him.

"You need to sleep."

"In the sword? No chance. Don't worry about me."

"But I _will_ ," Link complained, sitting back up. "We all need to be ready for the worst."

"Link. Sleep."

"Let me talk to her for a second. Just a minute, I promise."

Ghirahim stayed quiet, refusing to let go. After a tense moment, he relinquished his grip, sighing in annoyance. "Fine."

"Nothing's wrong." Link whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek before standing up. "I'm sure it's safe."

"Don't let yourself be fooled."

Link ignored him, stepping around the fire to where Fi was resting for the night. She had propped herself up against a small tree, gazing off into the dark distance of the surface.

"Hi."

"Hello."

Link shifted on his feet nervously. Fi still watched the edge of the forest, her bright eyes never leaving the tree line. It was unnerving.

"Why sheikah?" He hadn't meant to blurt it out, but the colors on her face were so foreign, that while she looked like the sword he knew, she was a stranger just as well.

"Ghirahim never told you?" She broke her stare, turning to Link. He shook his head, wondering what this had to do with him.

"It's not my place."

She turned back, leaving his question hanging in the air. He hadn't meant to come over and bother her with all the trivial questions he had, he did have a point that needed to be made.

"I don't think this was your fault." He began, giving Fi a chance to stop him. Her shoulders tensed, but no request came. 

"It wasn't because you rebelled against Hylia. You never really went against her, you were more loyal to her than anyone I've ever met. To me." He reassured, hand raising to ruffle his hair as he nervously continued, "The sword hasn't rejected you. I'm sure Zelda can reestablish the connection, if— if that's what you want. _Only_ if that's what you want."

He waited for a moment, Fi's expression unreadable, before he decided that was enough. He needed to return to Ghirahim, and she needed to deal with this alone.

Before he turned to leave, she whispered, voice gravelly and rough, "What I want doesn't matter. Sword spirits weren't meant to live their own lives. We can't both be as lucky as he is."

Link frowned, hurt she had been trained and manipulated to think this way. Her words mirrored many things Ghirahim had told him, from before he knew he was a sword like her. They had been through so much, and while he seemed to be on the path to convincing Ghirahim he deserved better, he wasn't sure how to help Fi. It wasn't as simple as pointing out the flaws of her creator or master. Victory seemed to rest on her sacrifice. 

It wouldn't be done in one night. He had to get back to Ghirahim, he could feel his impatience. Leaving her to her thoughts, Link turned to leave, adding one last quip over his shoulder, "For what it's worth, I think I like you better when you can speak for yourself." 

He could hear faint laughter. Fi grinned, head tilted his direction, to respond, "Always could, Master Link. You just weren't aware **I** was the one controlling **you**."

Leaving her alone, but with a smile on his face and feeling better about the encounter, Link returned to Ghirahim. He was ready for whatever complaints he was about to be subjected to. 

"Have fun?"

"Ha, ha." Link rolled his eyes, sitting down next to him and laying across his lap. "If you can call my poor attempts at therapy 'fun'."

Scoffing, Ghirahim's hands drifted to his hair again, fingers wrapping tightly in the strands. "Go to sleep."

"Is someone _jealous_?" He teased, reaching up towards his face before his hands were swatted away. "Upset you can't have _all_ my attention anymore?"

"Hardly." Ghirahim growled, and Link whimpered as the hold on his hair tightened. He closed his eyes tight, the harsh feeling his his chest intensifying. As it built, he could finally place a name on what Ghirahim had been unable to keep under control. _Possessiveness_. Ghirahim _was_ jealous. 

"You're mine now, _master_ , you can't just toss me aside."

"Ghirahim, you know I would never." Link whispered, taking his free hand and squeezing it. "You're stuck with me, too."

The hold on his hair lessened, but the tightness in his chest did not. Idly, Ghirahim stroked his head, lulling him to sleep. 

"If you're not careful, I'll have to lock you up myself. Hold you down and keep you from escaping."

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Link reminded him, giving in to the call of sleep. The night air was cold, and he shivered against the wind. Ghirahim, stare still intent on the forest in front of them (and more than likely Fi), did not listen.

"Could I convince you to wear a collar? Some restraints, perhaps? How pretty you'd look, all wrapped up in chains—

"Goddesses, Ghirahim, not right now." Link laughed, pushing on his chest. "We've traumatized Fi enough."

A harsh pull warned him he shouldn't bring her up. He sighed, letting him win. "If you're going to keep watch, at least be quiet. I do need to rest."

"I know." Ghirahim murmured, glancing down in his direction. "Sweet dreams, hero. Don't let me stop you."


	12. Shatter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The difference between a nightmare and a dream is that for the Chosen Hero, one is real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> background info: during the final battle Fi says about Demise "According to tales passed down through generations, it appears differently in each epoch and to each person who lays eyes on it", so if you didn't have to use her analysis or you didn't read the first part of this fic series there's a line that might confuse you. Now you know a useless Zelda fact

The strange thing about dreams is that one does not often know when they are dreaming, and during the rare event they become aware of this fact, they can never feel perfectly sure.

You always dream. Most are forgotten, some are remembered in tiny pieces that will never make sense, some in crystal clear detail. Usually you wake up thinking, "huh. that was a weird dream", and move on.

Then there are the ones where the dreamer is well aware they are dreaming. They know nothing is real, can manipulate the environment to their liking, and understand there are no consequences in dreams. Still, emotions are real. One moment you can be aware you are dreaming, the next you feel the chill down your spine at some drastic misstep in real life. Maybe you walked off a steep ledge. Spent over your budget on a useless object. Were pushed away by someone you thought a friend. None of this was real, but the horror of 'it could have been' _is._

However, when you wake up, and the damage goes away. Nothing left but some disjointed memories.

So, based on this, can the visions sent by the goddess, seen with full consciousness and completely burned into memory even now, be classified as dreams?

Then how are these visions sent, if not in dreams?

. . . and can any other being induce these?

Link was only 70% sure he was dreaming (and he could almost hear Fi telling him that was not an accurate statistic). This felt real, the wind in his hair and the chill on his skin, his heart beating against his chest as fear started taking its hold. Unlike the unfamiliar abyss of Hylia's visions, this was very recognizable, very real, and very much the last place he wanted to be.

Demise's realm. The void stretching out in all directions, sky reflected on the water in a mockery of his home. Link stumbled for his sword, found he was unarmed, but it didn't matter. No one was here but him. 

It didn't feel like a dream, yet it didn't feel like Hylia's visions. Nothing was happening, he was just... there. As if he had been transported in his sleep.

That wasn't a happy thought.

Link was just coming to terms with the fact that this wasn't a dream, and he could very well be trapped here with no way out, when he saw a reflection in the water. A figure, standing close.

"Who's..." He looked up to ask, but there was no one in sight. Turning back to the ground, sure enough, the blurry image, distorted by slow ripples, stood watching him.

Link's first thought was they couldn't have been Demise. They were tall, but it was hard to tell how tall from this angle. Unidentifiable, obscured by the water, it was impossible for him to see specifics. 

(His second thought, was, of course, Demise could look like anything it wanted to, so this could very well be the demon) 

Link fell to his knees above the reflection, brushing his fingers over the surface. They did not interact with the world, the obstruction to the water coming from somewhere else. "Hello...?" 

As the image started to clear, the world around them grew red and black as it had during his battle. Above ground, the sky stayed blue, no signs this was happening around him.

He turned back to the other. The ripples had gone.

Ghirahim.

Link scrambled back, the sudden realization startling him. The demon stood stiff and emotionless as a spirit, black diamonds glittering across his dark metal skin. He looked as empty as he did at the spring.

He didn't understand. Why was he being shown this? As a warning? As a prophetic dreams sent by Hylia? It didn't feel like Hylia. Something in the air was sinister, and Link was helpless as he watched the scene below him.

Ghirahim tensed, drawing a sword from the air and preparing for battle. With whom, Link didn't know. Upside down, it was hard to gain the whole picture. 

He pulled himself from the floor, desperately searching for a cause, but the water on the opposite side had began to bubble, like rain drops were hitting the lake. He kept his eyes on Ghirahim, afraid he would lose him in the chaos under his feet.

He had no warning when the other sprinted away, a blur he couldn't have hoped to see even with a clear picture. Chasing after where he thought the sword had gone, Link felt the rain begin to prick his skin, the clouds above growing dark in this world as well.

He didn't know what happened. He was lost in this world, disoriented as the downpour turned sour, painful and burning where it touched exposed skin. It left no marks, no sign it was real, and he thought he was losing his mind.

When the shattering crash echoed throughout the empty world, Link whipped around to the explosion. White and blue light was radiating from the ground, like glowing glass shards floating away from the impact. It was seeping from the world below, the true reflection matching the world he stood in. Unable to keep looking, Link shielded his eyes.

The rain was stopping. The bright light was beginning to fade, the sky turning blue again. Peaking out from behind his arm, Link squinted at the scene before him.

He would never be able to erase the horror from his mind.

The splinters of light hadn't been glass. They had been from a gem, the clear and bright shining lifeforce of a sword spirit. Fading away into fluttering diamonds, the spirit fell limp into their enemy's hands, a dark sword plunged through their chest. 

_Fi_ was disintegrating into Ghirahim's arms, and it was _his_ sword through her heart. 

Somewhere between shattering and dissolving, he watched as her body reverted to that of the Master Sword, broken chunks of metal slipping from Ghirahim's fingers. It clattered on the ground with no fanfare, left to rust as the last of her light faded. 

It didn't make sense. Ghirahim wouldn't—there was no way, this wasn't real. This wasn't even a dream of the future, Link denied, not sent by Hylia as a waring. It was a nightmare. An uncommonly terrifying nightmare. He would wake up and everything would be fine.

Still frozen in his spot, Link barely noticed the remaining spirit approaching. When the sound of metal footsteps registered in his mind, his eyes snapped to the other's face, betraying the fear he felt.

"Oh, Link." Ghirahim cooed, and it felt like a weak recreation of the demon's personality, "Poor, innocent Link."

He was unarmed. He couldn't face him without a sword, and Fi was—he didn't want to think about it. 

He couldn't face him without a weapon, yes, but Ghirahim was still his sword.

"Stay away." He warned, as much authority as he could muster in his voice. "That's—that's an order."

"You _really_ thought you could control **me?"** His tongue pushed against sharp fangs as the spirit laughed, dark and sinister. "You _honestly_ believed you were strong enough to separate me from my master, the living embodiment of everything you stand against? Oh, you naïve, clueless child. How adorable."

Rooted to the spot, Link had no choice but to watch as Ghirahim stalked forward, hand stretched out and reaching for him. Gasping in pain when the freezing metal met his cheek, Link gritted his teeth to hold back any more cries. Ghirahim was so cold it _burned_.

"You never had a chance. I will admit, I am at fault for toying with you." The spirit whispered, stroking his thumb over Link's skin. "It was below me to give you such _hope,_ to let you think you had won."

"Ghirahim..." Link begged, hissing as a sharp edge sliced across his face.

"Don't worry." The sword hushed him, finger against his lips. "I won't make the same mistake again."

No. No, not like this.

No, Link thought, as he was pulled into a kiss, razor sharp teeth scraping his lip as they pulled away. No, he tried to scream as the sword that killed Fi was raised. No, his mouth moved soundlessly as he was forced to his knees, unable to tear his eyes from Ghirahim's face.

No, Link silently begged as he watched the blade arc downwards and through him, numb and empty. He didn't feel the pain.

No. 

No.

**No.**

_I promised this wouldn't happen._

* * *

Link woke with the thin cut on his face still bleeding.


	13. Flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio return to Skyloft for the calm before the storm, but even this peace is haunted by their pasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe don't get mad at your boyfriend for something he did to you in a dream
> 
> warning for smut that may or may not be enough to bring this up to an E rating??? It's not excessively graphic and not the focal point of the story so I think it's still an M overall, but if you need to skip this chapter I'll cover anything important in the next chapter's summary.
> 
> and, disclaimer: this isn't supposed to be an accurate representation of PTSD or any other mental health disorder that causes flashbacks; these are caused by magic

"What have you done to your face?" 

"Doesn't matter." Link brushed Ghirahim off, holding a cloth to his wound though the flow of blood had stopped. The cut, which he still wasn't sure how it transferred from dream state to real life, stretched across his nose and down his cheek. It was sure to scar.

"How did we not notice this last night? Goddess sword, this wasn't there yesterday, you agree?"

"I can confirm this injury is new." Fi affirmed, not helping in the slightest. "I can also confirm no one left this camp last night."

"Were you _monitoring_ us?" The demon snapped, protective of Link as he wrapped an arm around his waist. Pulling the cloth away, Ghirahim snapped at him to stop complaining as he hissed in discomfort.

"Guys, drop it. It was probably from the keese and we didn't notice." He slipped out of Ghirahim's hold, digging in his pouch for a bandage. "We were all tired, it was dark, it was easy to miss."

It was clear neither sword wanted to drop the matter, but Link was walking away before they could stop him. Not waiting for them to catch up, he headed for Faron Woods once again.

It was still early, and the sun was just barely over the horizon. Link shivered in the morning air, hoping the sun would bring better weather as it rose.

He startled when Ghirahim appeared by his side. The demon said nothing, setting into step aside him, though Link could feel the irritation hanging over him. A glance back showed Fi had been left behind, and wasn't doing much to catch up.

"I know what you're thinking," He tentatively told Ghirahim, a warning note to his voice, "and it's noth—"

"No you don't." The demon interrupted, gaze fixed forward. Huffing, Link ignored him.

"It's _nothing."_ He repeated. The cut did still sting underneath the bandage, but Link wasn't ready to think about the dream. He could still see the shattered blue crystals in his mind, still picture Ghirahim above him with a sword raised.

"It's not. I won't argue with you, but you and I both know you did not have that last night."

Link sighed, pausing to let Fi catch up, watching Ghirahim go on without them. 

This wouldn't be the end of it.

* * *

They reached the edge of the woods by the time the sun had passed the tree tops. Pulling out his map, Link scanned the area for the nearest bird statue to Skyloft while the swords kept their distance.

"Master Link, we have reached Faron Woods." Fi informed him, the tone her voice took familiar and comforting. "If you wish to return to the sky, the nearest location to Skyloft is by the Sealed Temple." 

"Oh, thank you, I would have never guessed." Ghirahim mocked, and he had to admit it was also familiar for the sword to be difficult. It still felt too early in the morning for this.

"Hey, fuck you."

"Oh my goddesses, where did you learn that?" Torn from his map, Link looked up aghast to the _not_ familiar language coming from the spirit.

"Where do you think?" Fi raised an eyebrow, her arms crossing, "I had thought we already determined I had more consciousness than was apparent during my time as a sword."

"I'm sorry, don't bring this up now. I will properly beg your forgiveness later." Link hid his shame, pocketing his map with the other hand. "And then we can never again bring up the terrible things I did when I thought you weren't aware."

"Oh, come now, I'm sure it wasn't that bad." Ghirahim grinned, Link twisting out of the possessive grip he placed on his shoulder. "What could the _pure, innocent, devout_ chosen hero possibly do to offend a servant of the goddess?" 

Knocking him away, Link stumbled into the forest on a mission. "The sooner we get to Skyloft, where I can keep you two away from each other, the better." He mumbled under his breath.

So there they were again, walking in relative silence, close but yet so far away. Link led their little group through woods he had come to learn so well, lost to his own thoughts.

Shattered gems. Blood dripping down his face. Fi. The specifics of the dream slipping away. Something Ghirahim had said long ago, something he couldn't quite place, somewhere in his memory trying to break free. Zelda was worried about him. He could see the Sealed Grounds up ahead, the statue of Hylia standing tall and serene. Every little noise in the forest got on his nerves.

It was too much to keep track of his wandering mind, jumping from one idea to the next, and no matter how he tried he couldn't focus. Link absently rubbed the scar where the mark of Triforce once burned, something deep within him stirring and making everything worse.

There were rarely enemies in this part of the woods, but a feeling under his skin was screaming at him to draw his swords. Link fought the itch, trying to distract himself so hard he nearly wandered off the edge. 

Memories came back all at once, the world flashing dark around him. For a second, he was standing helpless at the mouth of the spiral, watching Zelda's lifeless body hang limp in the stale air, a chorus of _you were too late_ invading his mind.

It was only a second, and then it was gone. The sunlight filtered through the trees, the goddess returned to his sight, and he became aware of his fists tightened around stiff metal. 

"Mind telling us what you plan on doing with those?"

Link snapped around, Ghirahim and Fi watching him closely from the edge of the forest. His heart was pounding nearly louder than the demon's words, blood running cold as he tried to shake the feeling.

"Sorry, I'm just... paranoid, I guess."

"Watch how you handle those." The demon snapped, startling Link from his panic. "I'm not a _toy._ I expected you to know better."

Frustrated, Link sheathed both swords. "I know, I wasn't—" He argued, but Ghirahim had disappeared from sight. On the other side of the grounds, Link could make out flittering diamonds by the statue, the other waiting impatiently. 

"Ghirahim!" He shouted after, but the demon was long gone. Link groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "What did I do now?"

Fi had no response other than a shrug, brushing by him and taking the long way around. He was on his own solving whatever problem he had caused now.

When he had made his way around to the platform, swords ignoring each other, he readied his worn sail cloth. The stone bird, the marker for a constant updraft powerful enough to send him to the sky, lit up with a faint orange glow when he stepped close.

"Look," he started, his frustration poorly contained, "My bird can only carry one of you, and the way things have been going I'm not leaving either of you alone down here. I will ask this once, before..." Link trailed off, unable to finish the threat. "Ghirahim, will you _please_ just spend some time in the sword."

Keeping his focus on the statue, Link couldn't bring himself to look Ghirahim in the eye. Something like anger flared up inside him, these foreign emotions that weren't his still jarring, but the sword faded away without a word. He let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, fingers tightening around the cloth, "but you need to work with me."

Reaching a hand out for Fi, he handed her the other edge of the cloth and wrapped an arm around her waist. Once he was sure she was secure, he kicked off the ground, sending the two (three) of them twirling toward the sky. 

It was a welcome comfort to be thrust past the clouds, free falling through the open air. The wind as it whipped around him had always helped to clear his mind, the freedom that came from the wide open space. Link let himself relax if only for a fleeting moment.

"I'm going to let go now to call my bird." He warned, hold slipping from Fi's waist. The harsh whistle pierced the air, followed soon after by the familiar cry of his loftwing. Instructing Fi to keep hold of the sailcloth, he let go and plummeted towards the clouds. 

A rush of red feathers zipped past his vision, and a second later he was firmly sat on the back of the great bird, circling back for the spirit. Helping her rest behind him, Link tucked away Zelda's sailcloth where he could reach it. 

"Your aura has brightened, Master Link." Fi noted, a teasing tone to her voice, "It is the first I've seen you like this since we parted."

Laughing, Link led his bird into a dive, picking up speed before the loftwing leveled out over Skyloft. It landed gracefully, ruffling its wings as the two slid off its back.

"Something about the sky." He murmured, smoothing out the feathers on the bird's neck. He pressed his forehead to the bird's beak in silent gratitude, and watched as it took off into the blue once more.

He waited a moment longer in the deserted plaza, the noise of the town enough of a grounding distraction to center his mind.

"Zelda will be in the academy." Link nodded in its direction, signaling to Fi he was ready to move on, "she's waiting for me."

With a sigh, he brushed over the hilt of Ghirahim's blade, the thought of _you know you can come out now_ met with silence. Shaking his head, Link turned for the academy with Fi alone.

"I don't know what's wrong with him." 

Fi gave him an empathetic smile. "Much has happened in the past 24 hours, many things out of your control that he still blames you for. I can say with 100% certainty Ghirahim is just sulking. He'll come around."

"Great. At least I don't have to worry about what he'll say to Zelda this time."

"There is that." Fi's hand rested on his shoulder, stopping him and demanding his attention. "Link. You've done nothing wrong. Ghirahim is just being... Ghirahim."

"A very scientific observation." He muttered, a small smile at his lips. Link let his hand rest on hers for a moment, her calming presence reassuring. He wondered if he would ever learn to understand the demon the way he came to know her.

"We don't have much time. I'll talk to him later, let's get going."

* * *

They found Zelda in a deserted classroom, textbooks strewn about and littering the floor. Link carefully stepped over an open manuscript, face down and pages bent, to rouse the girl from her restless sleep.

"Zel," He whispered, gently shaking her shoulder. "I'm back."

With a groan of protest, she slowly opened her bloodshot eyes, the dark circles beneath them clear she hadn't been sleeping for long.

"Sorry, I..." She began to apologize, but when she recognized her surroundings, Zelda perked back up and smiled at him. 

"It's good to see you Link. And... uh..." 

"Fi, Your Grace. The spirit of the Master Sword." In a sweeping curtsey, Fi dipped her head, mandatory respect for the goddess engrained in her spirit.

"Oh!" Gathering some of her books, Zelda still looked lost and dazed. "I was expecting a different sword spirit. I'm glad you found her."

Turning to Link, she shook her head, willing herself to stay standing. "Tell me everything. I'll get to work as soon as possible."

"Are you sure? You don't look so good." Link pulled the books from her arms as he furrowed his eyebrows, worried for her health. 

"No time. Don't worry about me." She smiled again, but it was weak and unconvincing. Link discarded the textbooks with a frown. 

"You're barely standing on your feet, this can wait. What's wrong?"

His hands taking hold of hers, he made her sit back down, watching her shoulders sink in on her body.

With a sigh, Zelda dropped her grip and buried her face in her palms. "I haven't slept since the night before you left. Hylia's silent, praying to her has done nothing. I don't know what to do."

"It's okay. We can take over from here." Link reassured her, but she swatted his outstretched hand away.

"No, you don't understand! This wasn't part of the plan, I don't know how to fix this!" Zelda snapped, voice wavering as she began to shiver. "Hylia only left me with enough memories to seal Demise the first time! There may have been times it seemed helpless and random to you, but for me? I knew every step you were going to take from the beginning. The trials, the flames, the Triforce... she set that up, and left me to make sure you completed it. I haven't felt like this since...."

The distraught girl took a deep breath, frame shaking as she curled in on herself. "Since you fought Demise. That wasn't supposed to happen. Hylia didn't leave me with her omnipotent divine knowledge of how to guide you through that. I've never told you, but I didn't think we were going to make it!" 

Zelda choked on a sob, trying her best to keep back the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Turning away from Link, she whispered, "It's not that I doubt you. I never have. I doubt myself, and I am forever sorry I haven't been able to keep you safe."

"Zelda..." Link placed a hand on her back, unsure where to go from here. A look to Fi showed her just as lost as he was. 

"If anything, the worst time to deal with this is now. You're tired, upset. I promise I will tell you everything, _tomorrow_." Link began, pulling her into a hug. "But now, you need to rest. We're safe. I'm here. It's going to be okay."

Glancing over her shoulder at Fi, Link saw her nod encouragingly. Relaxing when Zelda didn't pull away or protest, he slowly began to guide her back to her feet.

"You don't need to know everything. I promise you, I have good news. I mean, Fi is alive! Let us take over from here."

Letting her go when she pulled away, Link was glad to see her calming down. "Sleep. I'll tell you everything tonight." 

Zelda agreed, eyes still wet but soft smile back on her face. Link urged her out of the classroom, leaving her books a mess, and wouldn't say goodbye until he was sure she was actually going to rest. When he shut her bedroom door behind him, he slid down the rough wood with a long sigh.

"You did well."

"Thanks." He mumbled, suddenly feeling very tired himself. Looking up from the floor, he waited for Fi to start pushing him towards the next goal.

"There's only a 60% chance she'll remember this clearly. Her sleep deprivation has not reached critical symptoms, but the effect on her health is apparent. You will have time to inform her when... "

He nodded, only half listening. The problem with waiting was he now had a whole day to kill, and that meant a whole day to worry.

"... don't you agree?"

Snapping his head up, Link hissed when it collided with the door. "Ow, uh, sorry, I didn't...?" He scrambled off the floor, swaying a little as the sudden change caused black spots to dance across his vision. "I'm listening! What should I be doing now?"

"Which proves my point. Master Link, you need to take some time for yourself as well." 

He blinked a few times, trying to get his vision clear again. When it did, Fi came into focus with her arms crossed and a small smile on her face. "... sorry?"

"You are not operating at optimal health." She explained bluntly. "You are preoccupied with matters you have not yet explained, and are noticing a negative affect on your relationship."

With a hand placed on his shoulder, Fi guided him from Zelda's door, the boy still a little confused. "Taking time for your wellbeing does not mean you have to suffer by yourself."

She looked knowingly at the sword, then turned to leave. 

"I'll leave you and Ghirahim alone. You have more bridges to repair today."

* * *

Despite feeling like he had too much to worry about to be doing nothing, Link took Fi's advice. He knew in the coming days he wouldn't have much time to himself, so saw this as a blessing and took advantage of it.

He was tired, sore, worried. He tried, but he couldn't manage to rest. He didn't have to energy to work on his carvings, the thought of all he would have to do to go flying was too much. Sitting alone in his room waiting for Ghirahim to come out wasn't going to do him any good.

"If you would just tell me what's wrong..." He addressed the blade, pleading. Nothing.

"C'mon, Ghirahim, I look stupid talking to a sword." He hoped for a voice, even in his head, at the very least a chime. None came.

Flopping back down on the bed, Link laid splayed out waiting for some idea to come to him. He couldn't reason with Ghirahim if he refused to speak.

"Fine. Be that way." He huffed, pulling himself back up. "You'll have to come out eventually."

The sword stayed silent, challenging him. He stared at the dark metal, it's emptiness seemingly saying _oh really_ , the lack of output deafening. Link glared back, determination giving him the energy to get out of bed. 

"I," He stood up, heading for his closet and gathering supplies into his arms. "Am going to go bathe. Hylia knows this is the only time the bath room's free." 

He stared at the sword, knowing the fight with himself was a losing battle, and added it to the pile of towels. So much for waiting this tantrum out. 

\--

Link drew aimless patterns on the water's surface as he waited for the basin to fill. The steam had not yet warmed the room, but even with the vent above he knew the air would soon become stuffy and hot. Sighing, he turned his back on the water to undress.

With a glance at the sword resting on a countertop, Link gripped the edge of his tunic, dragging it and his chain mail up and over his head. Back turned, he called to the sword cheekily, "I'm changing. Don't look at me." 

No response. Not even a teasing chime. His shoulders sank as he finished undressing, wasting little time to slide into the hot water.

Dipping under, Link popped up where the edge of the pool met the counter, head on his arms as he stared at Ghirahim's sword.

"Tell me what's wrong. Please?"

Again, silence. Link huffed, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed into a frown. He stood his ground, staring intently, waiting for one or the other to break. He refused to let this go until Ghirahim explained himself. The air in the room grew tense, and at long last the blade seemed to spark to life.

_You first._

"Fine." He griped, drifting back to the far wall. "I had a bad dream. Stuff happened. I woke up with an unexplained injury." 

He leaned back under the flow from the tap, shaking the water from his eyes as he reached for soap. "Happy now?"

Linked yelped when the water from the wall flashed cold, dousing him in freezing ice and sending him flailing away. 

Clearly, Ghirahim was not.

"Okay, okay." He groaned, shivering as he tried to shake the ice from his hair. "It was a little worse than a bad dream. Sometimes I get these... prophetic nightmares? I don't know. They're more like warnings than prophecies, but this was... this was different."

Sinking into the water, Link crossed his arms in on himself as he recalled the memories he had been repressing.

"It felt like I was in a real place I've been before instead of a void. I could feel what happened... it wasn't like falling into nothingness, it was painful and real and paralyzing and... and...."

The vision of Ghirahim above him with the sword raised flashing in his mind. The cruel smile as it sank into his chest, the sharp pain on his face still burning from when he cut him, the glittering shards in the air.... Link sucked in a shaky breath.

"You did this to me. In the dream." He murmured, fingers brushing across rough bandages. "You were there and you were... you were like when I first met you." He finally decided on, deciding he didn't need to worry the other with all the details. 

Sighing deeply, Link sunk back under the water, letting the quiet surround him for a moment while he collected his thoughts. There was little he understood about what was happening to them, but it did him no good to force his worries onto his friends. As he broke the surface again, Link smiled at his sword.

"I'm sure it means nothing. Probably just scratched myself in my sleep. Why have _you_ been in such a bad mood?"

He waited for an answer, watching the dark blade curiously. A wandering sunbeam from the window seemed to dance over the metal, and the voice inside his mind argued, _I'm not in a 'mood', good or bad. This is how I am._

"Oh yeah?" Sneaking closer, Link raised a brow, mouth quirking up, "Nothing's wrong? Nothing that happened in the past, say, twenty four hours could have bothered you?"

 _Contrary to what you may believe, I don't enjoy seeing you inexplicably injured anymore,_ The sword retorted, _but if you are not concerned, then nether am I._

"So if there's nothing bothering you, why have you been avoiding me?"

_Sometimes I simply need to be alone. If you have such a dire need for attention, go bother the spirit maiden. Or better yet, your **other** sword._

"But I want you." Link whispered back, gently tracing the crossing lines of his hilt. "Ghirahim, you know that just because Fi is back doesn't mean I don't want you as a sword anymore... and, you know, as more than my sword."

Mumbling under his breath, the knight drew back to remark, "I didn't bring _her_ into the bath room."

_Clingy._

"Get used to it." He smirked, playfully drifting away. He was glad to at least have the demon speaking to him again, even if he wasn't saying much. Link went back to bathing, letting the sword fall silent once more.

It didn't feel empty this time. There was still tension in the air, but he could at least sense Ghirahim's presence. The indescribable bond they shared felt alive again, awake. Eyeing the blade out of the corner of his vision, Link inadvertently inched closer on the pretense he was reaching for his towel.

At the last second he changed course, striking out and splashing the sword with warm soapy water. He could feel a flare up of emotion as the sword grew aggravated, but Ghirahim said nothing. 

Making it clear this time it was not an accident, Link splashed water in his direction, met with the other chiming their displeasure at his teasing.

_Stop that. I'll rust._

"Then come out. You don't seem to mind water in your other form."

He sent a spray of water droplets his way again, hand skimming over the surface. 

_Link._

"C'mon, Ghirahim. You've been acting strange since we left. What's wrong?" He pleaded with another playful splash. The gem glowed once before flickering out, and Link worried he had drawn back in on himself again.

**"Link."**

The boy froze as he felt smooth arms wrap around him, trapping and halting his movements. His face grew flushed from the sudden proximity, of Ghirahim's wet skin sliding against his, and he bit back a gasp.

"Have you stopped sulking?" He managed to mutter, sinking back against the other's chest. Though Ghirahim still felt tense where their bodies met, he wrapped his arms a little tighter around Link's middle.

"I wasn't sulking."

"Clearly _something_ was off."

"There's a lot of things that are 'off' as of this moment, skychild." The demon sighed, allowing Link to shift in his arms. Pressing him up against the wall, Link crossed his arms around Ghirahim's neck. 

"Tell me what's wrong. Please." His wide eyes searched the other's face, not knowing what he was looking for. 

"It's nothing. You've just," The sword paused, avoiding Link's eyes as he explained, "you made a minor decision you weren't aware of that affects nothing but my pride."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter, you've done nothing inherently wrong, it is indicative of a habit and nothing else. I've thought too much into a mindless gesture and hurt only myself, you meant nothing with it."

"Ghirahim, I don't understand." Link blinked slowly, trying to comprehend the mess of words the demon had spewed at him. 

"You subconsciously draw the Master Sword with your dominant hand!"

Link stared at him in confusion, unsure where this was coming from. 

"You're mad at me because I was using your sword with the wrong hand?"

"It affects your performance!"

"That's not it." He shook his head, "There has to be something else."

"There's nothing else, that's the problem." The demon groaned, pushing his hair out of his face. "You are correct. I am jealous of the sword that was made for you, who you know as a sword and she knows you as a master better than I ever could. I was upset that you were hiding something from me and grew paranoid you no longer wish to confide in me."

The hold on Link's hips slipped away, and the sword drew back in on himself. He made to move away, but Link was pressing their lips together, palms pressed to his cheeks.

"I knew you were jealous." He whispered, forehead pressed to Ghirahim's, "I'm sorry I teased you for it. I didn't know it was hurting you this much."

Tangling his fingers in soft hair, Link kissed him again, and in a hushed voice spoke, "But there's nothing to be jealous of. We work together just as well. Differently, yes, but that's not bad. There's nothing I've told her I haven't told you, too, and you know a lot more about me than she does."

The demon hummed, nuzzling against Link's jaw, but said nothing. Sitting back, Link focused on his face, holding his attention.

"Ghirahim. I don't _want_ us to be like the friendship that Fi and I have. Neither of you are my sword first, but she's my friend; I love what we have in a different way than with her friendship."

Laughing under his breath, Link squirmed in his lap, pressing against him as close as he could get.

"You think she's seen me like this? Not her, not Zelda, _you._ I let you; I chose you. And you chose me, not Demise or Hylia or any other god you could have followed."

Holding him tight, Link muttered against his ear, "It doesn't matter where you came from, you're here now."

He felt the demon's chest rise and fall with a deep sigh, and then the embrace was returned. Sitting in silence for a few minutes, Link waited a moment before adding, "She wasn't made for me. She explained one time, she was forged to be used by the gods. The hero was only borrowing and reshaping it for them."

"And what does that make you and me?"

"Does it really matter? I stole you from your master and I do not intend on retuning you anytime soon." he joked, "I've told you, he's not getting you back no matter how hard he tries."

Ghirahim scoffed, clearing trying not to smile. "You deserve better than second hand swords who weren't yours to wield."

"And _you_ deserve a master specifically tailored to _your_ needs, so I guess we'll just have to settle for each other." Link retaliated, but he was worried about the way Ghirahim had referred to himself, "Seriously, Ghirahim, I don't care that Demise made you or had you first or what not. I have you now, and that's more than enough."

He could only hope Ghirahim would accept his words, not sure how else to convince him there was nothing to be jealous of. Link pressed another kiss to his cheek, but Ghirahim's lack of enthusiasm had him deterred.

"What else?" He whispered, still not believing this was all Ghirahim had fussed over. "You can tell me anything, no matter how small."

"I'm worried of what the sword's resurgence will mean in the grand scheme of things." Ghirahim sighed, absently rubbing Link's back, "There's an imbalance here. You hold all the cards, your enemy has none, and sooner or later things will even out." 

He paused, tangling his fingers in Link's hair. "I don't blame you. It's Hylia, she keeps all her puppets on tight little strings. I'm afraid... some may start to snap."

"What do you mean?"

"It's four against one, but we're all battle weary. It would be very easy to... convince some to give up or give in. Once you realize you're just a pawn in their eyes, you start to doubt." His hand went to cover his chest where the gem lay hidden, wincing at painful memories. "Trust me, I know."

"You don't think Fi or Zelda would betray us?" 

"No." Ghirahim lied unconvincingly. "But based on Her Grace's break down, I think we may not be able to count on everyone being at their best."

Link's mind supplied him with images of the water wasteland, of Ghirahim's blank metal eyes. He tried not to let on how he thought that, of the four of them, Ghirahim was the most likely to 'snap'. 

"I guess you're right."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, holding each other close as they savored the last few moments of peace.

Of course, the calm didn't last for very long.

Link wouldn't say he was worried, exactly, that one of them would go as far as to help Demise. He was more concerned about giving up than giving in, of his friends no longer caring enough to keep fighting. That _he_ would no longer care enough to keep fighting. 

He wasn't going to allow the doubt to consume him. Zelda was strong, Fi was resilient, they weren't alone this time and could call on other knights for help. Ghirahim wasn't going to betray him. He wasn't going to give up.

Still, the thought of Demise regaining Ghirahim angered him. Whatever the dream had meant, prophecy or threat or warning, he wasn't going to let it come to pass. 

Link pulled himself from the embrace, sitting up to look down on Ghirahim's dark eyes watching his. With a smile, he took the other's face into his palms.

"This may be our only chance we'll get to be alone together for a while. We should make use of it." The whispered words were almost drowned out by the running water, but the demon returned his expression anyway.

"Anything in mind?"

Link felt his cheeks grow warm, and not from the steam. Rolling his hips against the other, he did not shy away from eye contact when he nodded, "Yes."

Link's heart nearly stopped as the sword smirked up at him, lips curled in a familiar expression he hadn't seen in a long time. For a second, a flashback of fire and colliding metal, the promise of death and danger of losing, gone the next moment. Taking a deep breath, ignoring the sickness threatening to eat him away, Link pulled him into a kiss. 

So he wouldn't have to look at him.

It wasn't the same, he chastised himself as he was met with teeth and tongue. This wasn't life or death, fight or fuck. Claws scrapping on his skin sent him back to when he hated himself for allowing this. For how good it felt. Memories of when one wrong move would end with a knife in his throat.

A sword through his chest.

It wasn't like that now, but he couldn't shake the feeling.

Link knew he had never been very good at fighting back. He gave in too easily, and while he may have offered some entertainment on the battlefield he had always been much too soft in bed. He _let_ Ghirahim do whatever he wanted, without a _real_ fight, and left the temples and dungeons disgusted at his submission. If he hadn't been worthy of the goddesses' grace then, he sure as hell wasn't now.

And maybe he wasn't. He had been late, he had gotten so close and still nearly failed through Hylia's guidance. If Ghirahim was forged in darkness and meant to be defeated, why had he nearly won? 

Why now, after everything they had been through, after countless hours of self hatred that he couldn't meet the demon's match, was he able to fight back with such fervor? He wasn't soft, he wasn't sweet, he didn't hold back as he left marks over Ghirahim's skin, scraping against bone but denying completion of drawn blood. His fingers tugged on silver hair, relishing the pained hisses he received, and challenging the other to put up with it.

"You're awfully... rough." Ghirahim panted through gritted teeth, head yanked back so Link could bite at his neck. "Are you sure _you're_ not upset with _me_?"

Link's hands closed around sleek shoulders. 

"I'm not." 

The marks he left said otherwise.

Ghirahim laughed sultrily as Link slid down, keeping the thoughts in his mind at bay by nipping at the grey skin. As the grip on his hair tightened, the other moaned out, "Something tells me otherwise."

Instead of responding, Link bit a dark nipple. He pinched the other as his sword gasped, a darkness in his eyes he couldn't explain.

"I'm not mad at you." He murmured, slinking back into Ghirahim's lap, "But I am getting real tired of hearing about Demise. _You're mine,_ Ghirahim, and I think you should start acting like it."

"And what do you mean by that?" The sword mouthed, voice barely more than a breath as Link ground their hips together. 

"Forget about Demise. Stop worrying he'll take you back. Do what I say; you answer to _me_ , only me." Leaning down to his sensitive ear, Link brushed the white fringe away to whisper, "And don't act as if you don't like it."

He flashed him a grin, enjoying the scandalized look on Ghirahim's face. Making sure he could see Ghirahim's face, he asked, gently, "Is that okay?"

A moment of hesitation. Ghirahim's lip curled to show off a sharp fang, a growl resounding from in his throat. The demon inhaled sharply, before bowing his head and smirking, "Of course, _master._ "

A shiver went through Link's body at the title. He knew he would never match Ghirahim's skill. He didn't need to. The demon made him stronger, and together they were unstoppable. He had proved he was more powerful than Demise, Ghirahim had shown he was more clever than Hylia herself. No one was going to take the sword away from him. Perhaps Ghirahim's hubris was rubbing off on him, but Link felt their souls were truly bound by fate. 

Nipping at his ear, he responded, "Good. Now hurry up and fuck me."

At his orders, Ghirahim's grip on Link's hips tightened. The knight didn't back down, keeping the demon where he wanted him, harsher than he meant to be but the other never complained. Anything to keep the memories out of his mind.

_Shards of glass, cracked and glowing red._

Anything to prove Ghirahim belonged to him.

_Fire, burning embers, the thread of fate that binds us soaked in blood._

There were fingers in his mouth and he bit down, the hand raised to slap him for it caught at the wrist. Opening his eyes, Link smirked as he removed them, challenging the other to do something about it. His sword snarled at him, and Link's vision sparked out once again.

_I never expected such a soft boy to put up this much of a fight._

It wasn't easy to pull himself back from the temple floor, from a sword at his neck to a sword claiming his lips, but Link bit until he tasted blood (he didn't know whose) and pushed the dim memory from his mind. He was numb until he wasn't, too much too fast too soon, shouting at an intrusion he wasn't ready for. His nails left bloody smears on the other's chest as his own heaved, not allowing himself time for another memory to set in before he was ordering the demon to move. 

It didn't keep them at bay.

_Try to relax, the demon cooed, holding Link's hips high. It is your first time. I'll be nice._

There was... he was inside him. Link gasped back from his blackout, back from his memories, shuddering uncontrollably as Ghirahim kept driving into him and through him. He was aware again, either oblivious to the pain or it had faded. Tears streaked down his face, cries he only faintly heard leaving his mouth, a string of demands pushing past his lips. Ghirahim held him tight, a hand in his hair and mouth on his neck, the sting of fangs sinking into his skin.

Link fought back with each breath, gasped orders pushing him closer and closer and closer.

_You put up more of a fight than I would have thought possible..._

Link cried out at a harsh thrust, holding onto Ghirahim tighter than before. He tried to keep himself grounded, he tried to forget everything as his hands slid up the other's chest and his lips pressed hard against another's. Iron on his tongue, blood rushing in his ears, Link managed to keep his vision anchored on Ghirahim though the past tried to pull him back.

He felt something under his fingertips, hot and sharp. Ghirahim moaned against his lips, movement stuttering as Link pressed down. 

_The sword was brought down on the silver casing, the armor not strong enough to keep the lava from seeping out._

"Your gem." Link whispered, breathless. "You... you're letting me..."

"Yes." Ghirahim breathed, slowing as he shuddering under Link's gaze. Link felt the sword's limbs twitch, a survival instinct screaming at him to keep this secret hidden, to keep the one who caused such damage away.

In a rare moment of clarity, Link traced the dark outline where the skin peeled away to show his final form, black and shimmering in the sunlight. It had never healed properly, and it made his soul ache for the spirit. He pressed down harder, watching the skin under his touch melt away to metal. The body under him jerked, barely holding back as Link skimmed the smooth planes.

"It's sensitive."

"Yes." 

The demon's eyes glinted with a challenge, daring Link to keep pushing him.

_Red and orange running over black hands, spilling out on the ground below. The lines spread out, dripping with the thick substance, the vital lifeforce. **Boy... what are you?**_

"Can I...?"

**"Yes."**

At Ghirahim's permission, Link watched as the cracked ruby surfaced, black and gold snaking out along the skin. His hands ran over the sides of the jagged edges, feeling now the smoothness was interrupted and split into sharp pieces. As Link pressed both palms down on the pyramid, Ghirahim grunted and began to use his body again.

_The blade dissolved into the thick air, a purple cloud of dust unlike the diamonds of before. Link gasped._

The bandage on his face had been lost by now, Ghirahim's touch reviving the sting as blood welled up in the wound.

_Did you really think you could control me...._

Link's finger slipped over the apex of the pyramid, a pinprick of blood dripping down the edge.

_You're mine too, Link. Don't forget that. I'm not loosing you now._

Pressing down on the gem, nails digging into the sides, he felt his whole body tense as Ghirahim screamed out his name.

_On his knees, the blade raised high._

_Pierced, his dangerous smile the last thing he saw before the world went black._

Link came with an underwhelming sigh.


End file.
